Sparrow
by octopii
Summary: ...Who exactly are you?" Saezuri asked after a substantial silence, glancing up the foot or so to look at his face. "Someone many people would love to kill, had they the opportunity." Madara left it at that, his expression sharp as a hawk's. MadaraOC
1. Chapter 1

Alright, so. First story published. Be gentle and tell me what you think?

Constructive criticism would be nice.

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Madara sighed and reclined more deeply into the musty, faded red cushions, smoke swirling in a seductive manner around his face. He watched men filter in and be fawned over in the most blatant way by the ladies employed by this brothel. He sipped delicately at a cup of sake, musing. Things were going remarkably well, all matters considered. He had his brat descendant firmly under his thumb, a growing rank of S-classes, and he had just found the gem that was 'Pein'.

"Sir, is there anything else I can get you?" The manager of the establishment approached him, words heavily with implications. Had they no tact? However, much as he found it tawdry, he far preferred the quiet atmosphere here, to get drunk in, than a bar.

"Unfortunately not." He murmured, cutting his eyes to her face. The woman's features, softened after forty or so years of living, tightened in an displeased way, but she complied and moved to the man just down the way; a wrinkled old affair that showed much more interest than Madara. A young, fauxly cheerful woman caught his attention, as she wheedled and pulled at a man's hand towards the upper rooms, where the real 'business' was conducted. And from there his eyes wandered, contemplating each woman's approach. One woman was rough and very masculine in her attentions; another soft and demure, hoping to lure in the man attracted to virginity; and there were still others, from blatantly tacky, to just looking plain disinterested. Madara noted that his sake was dwindling, and motioned for another bottle. An innocent looking youth caught his signal, and approached on soft feet, a full sake bottle in hand. How quiet she walked had his eyes slimming, and when he cared to look further, the way her hips and shoulders moved that just spoke of _efficiency_ had him seizing her wrist as she set the bottle on the table in front of him.

"Sir?!" Alarmed, her voice tripped on high notes, even as he pulled her in closer to speak in her ear.

"Trained kunoichi normally don't work in _brothels_." He noted the tight-lipped manager staring at him, and let go of the girl's wrist. She pulled back immediately, dark eyes large. She blinked once and her hands fluttered over her chest, clasping at each other.

"How did you know?" Madara eased back, observing the weak way she stood: feet too close together, spine having the wrong arch and her obvious nervous habits. His brow cocked; maybe she wasn't all _that_ skilled as her trapsy to his table had indicated.

"I'm powerful myself, my dear." He answered her question, pouring himself a fresh cup of sake. She settled on her knees across the coffee table from him, procuring herself a cup after asking with a glance. Madara shrugged, and she tipped a light amount into the dish.

"I never made it through." She murmured, taking a very delicate sip, mouth tightening at the strong taste.

"Oh?"

"I-"

"Ohooooooo, Saezuri-chaaaaan, you finally have a customer~!" A hopelessly drunk courtesan slung her arm around Sae's shoulders, who stiffened at the contact. "And you, mister, better treat her well." The woman slurred, wagging her finger in Madara's face, which was becoming more contemptuous by the second.

"How much did you have to drink, Narue?" Saezuri asked, her eyes sharp and eyebrows drawn as she plucked the woman's arm from around her shoulders.

"Saaaeeeee-chan, don't be mean!" Narue giggled, leaning forward into Sae's face. "Just because you're Fue-san's favorite, doesn't mean you're boss!" Saezuri frowned, struggling not to cough from Narue's heavy breath wafting in her face. The drunk woman's attention abruptly switched to the table, and, spotting the bottle of sake, she immediately began cooing cheerfully and reaching for it.

"Not," Madara's hand shot out, clasping Narue's wrist with a very tight grip, "While this is still mine." His lips had curled, sharingan starting to bleed into his eyes. Narue dawdled for a minute, before passing out cold. Saezuri watched her slump to the coffee table, before rolling her off and onto the ground as an afterthought.

"What did you do?" She then calmly asked, raising her eyes to Madara's as she took another tiny sip of her sake. He found it strange that she first made the happenings look natural before questioning.

"Speeding up the inevitable." He snorted, closely studying the woman across from him with his sharingan. He could detect no jutsu, or even deception in her eyes as she glanced back down at Narue. So she really was just an academy-trained failure. Madara let his sharingan fade, not caring when Sae watched and cocked her head minutely to the side. Tactfully, she made no comment, instead swirling the sake in her dish.

"What village did you come from?" Madara prodded, still curious. Sae grimaced at the question, but still answered dutifully.

"Iwa." That certainly explained the ash blonde hair that shined dimly from her scalp, twisted back into a simple twist. Iwa, for the most part, was dominated by blonds. "My mother took me away before I could take the genin exam; she then repaid me by dying of tuberculosis not a year after."

"Hence this brothel?" Madara raised a brow, his mind working in circles. Zetsu was sorely needed for spy work, and it was easier to travel in a pair....

"Would any other place take in a starving thirteen year old, no questions asked, if only she clean?" Sae's voice was delicately amused, light dancing behind her dark eyes.

"I could spirit you away, you know." He leaned in, pitching his voice low to further avoid the manager's attention, "I have a cause, if you're willing to work." And how easy would it be, to build on her latent skills? And the public's attention would not focus on a simple man and woman traveling, as he was sure she could pose as the demure wife of a fisherman in a pinch. Or similarly, a banker. Or a scholar. It all depended on his mood, what he posed as, and all she had to follow with was simple obedience, a shy way with loyalty and people would not ask questions.

"A cause." Sae murmured, leaning further in until their noses were a mere foot apart, "What kind of cause is this?" She whispered, aware from the chill creeping up her spine that Fue-san was watching her. Which was understandable; what business did a simple maid have with a customer?

"I plan to own this world." Madara smoothed, leaning back into his seat cushions.

"Saezuri, what in the world happened to Narue?" Fue's sharp voice startled the young woman, causing her to fumble and pull back sharply from leaning over the table, before she could ask Madara anything further.

"She drank too much." Sae informed, not looking her manager in the eye, instead picking at the hem of her simple servant's kimono.

"Don't just leave her out in plain sight! Up! Get up, take her upstairs." The manager bullied her, before giving a sharp look to Madara, "And I'll thank you not to distract my working staff!" Waspish, the older woman curled her lips, before sweeping away into the back room, where banging of pans were heard.

"I-" Sae opened her mouth to apologize, but Madara merely responded with a small, amused grin that seemed out of place on his dark features.

"Oh, I'll wait." He took a sip of sake, and when another loud crash of pans from the backroom resounded, Sae startled and bundled up Narue's collapsed form as best she could. Resulting in hooking her arms around the shorter, more buxom woman's abdomen, and heaving her across the room with a red face at the catcalls patrons were giving her. Madara had to chuckle at the difficulty which she dragged Narue up the stairs, waddling backwards while trying to lift under the woman's armpits.

For the next two hours, Fue kept Saezuri scurrying around, whether it be with large tasks such as playing a shamisen to entertain the few patrons waiting their turn or just lounging like Madara, to menial tasks like tending the fire in the kitchen or cleaning the windows. And throughout it all, Madara patiently reclined in his cushions, drinking at sake and observing.

"Finish up! Finish up, everyone." Fue piped, some men grumbling and others merely bleary eyed and hopelessly drunk. Sae, on the way by carrying a tub full of water, caught Madara's eye and gave a definitive nod. He let a smirk curl at his lips, and downed the rest of his final sake bottle as she shuffled into the kitchen area. Leaving enough yen to cover his four consumed bottles, he left and leaned against the door frame outside the building. Many of the late walkers on the street cast him glances, some full of contempt and others curious. For a full ten minutes he waited, and was rewarded when Sae came creeping around the side of the building, presumably from a back entrance, wearing a simple shirt dress and carrying a pack.

"Uchiha Madara." He shook her hand, and she let out a flushed smile.

"Dazai Saezuri." She inclined her head, trotting after him to keep up with his long legs.

"Well, Dazai-kun, our first stop will be around to the grass country." Madara glanced over to her, seeing her nod, and picked up his pace. Sae had to practically jog to keep up with him, and he'd push at her and push at her, building endurance once more.

She didn't know it, but she was in for the most grueling training session he had ever given anyone.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter is considerably longer. Enjoy. ;D

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"Uchiha-san, how do you plan on taking the world?" Saezuri asked one afternoon as Madara re-familiarized her with how to hold various ninja weapons, while they took a short break from traveling. He mused on how best to answer as she flung a kunai at the makeshift target, missing miserably. He had found her fingers to be disturbingly fragile despite all her work as a maid, after he had accidentally cracked a joint and made her hiss in discomfort while rearranging her grip.

"I have a following of...high ranked shinobi, and they will help me steal precious weapons from the hidden villages." Best not to mention that those weapons were mythical beasts. Not yet, at least.

"Oh. Is that really possible?" She asked, and he looked at her strangely for a moment. What a gem he had found; she didn't question his motives or morals, instead just trundling along for the ride. Which was absolutely _perfect_ for his needs for her.

"Indeed." He chuckled, watching her try and whip a shuriken, to have it lean off to the right and rip through some ground vegetation. He adjusted her wrist and demonstrated, tearing a tremendous crack into a tree trunk, the weapon burying itself halfway through.

"What..." She murmured, eyes wide.

"Not to worry, precision comes with practice." Madara assured, before flicking his hand, "Come though, we need to carry on." He set back onto the path, with a brisk stride once more. Saezuri hurried to catch up, more comfortable with the pace now. From the way plant life was starting to turn more towards ground cover and less forest-type material, Madara gauged that they would be in the grass country by nightfall. Which meant he had to be on the lookout; Zetsu had informed him that Kisame and Itachi were passing through this area, and while he hadn't planned it, Madara wanted to check on his descendant. Mostly to make sure that Itachi wasn't planning any betrayals, because Madara wasn't sure he could catch him in time if he was.

"What kind of clothing did you bring?" Madara asked Saezuri, who blinked slowly.

"Regular things...?" She questioned, unsure of what he was asking. He regarded her for a moment, before snagging her light bag from her shoulders and riffling through it. Everything he found was made out of simple cloth, too thin for any kind of training or combat.

"We'll buy you a few sets in the next town." He handed the bag back, which she slipped back onto her svelte shoulders in a bewildered manner.

"Why do I need new ones?"

"Unless you want to wear rags for the next few months, I wouldn't complain." Sae wisely shut her mouth, twining her hands through the straps of her pack. Silence reigned for another hour, and Madara could see her tiring quickly. He was about to comment, before he picked up a slight pulse of chakra, that he recognized as Kisame.

"Aa. Stop here." He slipped his mask out from where it sat against his ribs, first slimming on a head-warmer to hide the majority of his hair before clipping it to his face. Saezuri tipped her head, alarmed when Madara clasped onto her arm tightly.

"You will only refer to me as Tobi, understand?" It was strangely frightening, the way his onyx eye almost glowed from his eyehole.

"Okay." Sae agreed, completely bewildered. Barely ten minutes more into their walk, she caught sight of possibly the largest man she had ever seen in her life, before spotting his petite companion, a boy who _couldn't_ have been more than fifteen.

"Kisame-san, Itachi-san!!!" Madara waved his arm in the most obnoxious way, even going as far as to eagerly run forward. Saezuri bounded to keep up, and curiously eyed the pair. "Wow, who'd of thought I'd find you here!" Madara rambled on in a light voice, that was reminiscent of how he would chuckle or grin at her when she did something folly. It was rather unsettling, his false cheerfulness. She could sense something dark under it, as if he was mocking everything.

"Tobi? What are you doing way out here? And who's this?" Kisame gestured at Sae, who blinked owlishly.

"Sae-chan is helping Tobi find Zetsu-san!"

"An innocent woman will be no help." Itachi monotoned, staring at her with eyes that were disturbingly similar to Madara's.

"Ne, Itachi-san doesn't what he's talking about, right Sae-chan?" Saezuri watched Itachi's eyes slim down; however, Madara was her main concern.

"Of course, Tobi. I can find Zetsu-san for you." She played along, shuffling her feet.

"Where's your hiati-ate, girl?" Kisame questioned, and while his attention was directed at her, Sae caught that same curious red seep into Madara's eye, making Itachi blink. "Oi?"

"Oh!" Sae snapped back to her senses, quickly thinking of a plausible story, "I lost it in a scrap with Iwa hunter nins not a week ago." She scratched at her neck, feigning embarrassment; "Tobi helped me get away, on the condition I help find this 'Zetsu-san'." How easy it was to casually lie, after for years fending off Fue's attempt to sell her virginity to any man that would pay.

"Yeah, they were scary, Kisame-san! They kept yelling at Sae-chan 'Bitch! Bitch!'" Madara laughed heartily, while Saezuri's head snapped around to stare incredulously at him. He slung an arm around her shoulders, raising the other hand in a wave.

"I'll be seeing you! C'mon Sae-chan, we have to find Zetsu-san!" And he tugged her away, further down the path. Saezuri waited until they were a safe distance, before asking,

"Bitch?" Madara's arm was still draped on her shoulders; he was a full head above, despite Sae being taller than the female norm.

"It made it believable, no?" He glanced down at her, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. The mask was unsettling. With barely a thought, she unclasped it from his face to see a cruel smirk curling his lips.

"You're terrible." She lightly said while smacking the mask to his chest, increasing her pace and freeing herself from his arm.

"It was amusing, you have to admit." Madara mused while tucking the mask back inside his shirt, drawing level at her side.

"Perhaps. I'm still confused why the personality change was needed."

"Those were two of the shinobi that work for me; they don't know they do, however. It _is_ rather fun to screw with them." Sae just stared for a moment, before chuckling.

"That's just....backhanded." She shook her head, hiking her bag up on her shoulders.

"Aa." Madara agreed lightly, freeing his hair. His eyes were still bleeding sharingan, and with them, he could see a border town just ahead. When the smoke from several chimneys came into sight, he stopped Sae with a quick gesture.

"We're a simple carpenter and wife traveling to our in-law's. Whatever you do, keep your head down and be obedient." Madara watched her shift and look away, lines of her mouth pressing together. "What?"

"I hate lying to innocents." Her eyes darted down, as she fidgeted with her pack straps.

"Lying or no, it's necessary." Madara reached out and swept her chin up with his curled index finger, watching as she studied his face. "I kill whoever finds out my identity. So think of it as protecting those innocents, if it bothers you so." He released her and resumed towards the town, aware of her pause and trot to catch up with him.

"....Who exactly _are_ you?" Saezuri asked after a substantial silence, glancing up the foot or so to look at his face.

"Someone many people would love to kill, had they the opportunity." Madara left it at that, his expression sharp as a hawk's. Sae blinked and looked away, instead choosing to study the upcoming town. A housewife looked up from washing her laundry on her porch, curiously studying them as they passed. Further in the town, Madara caught her hand when a farmer lifted his straw hat to them; Madara gave a lackluster nod and towed Sae along towards a simple two-story building. Inside revealed it to be an inn, a grizzled old man behind the counter.

"Welcome!" He had a rasping, guttering voice, kindled by age. He stood, immense grey eyebrows lifting to give him a better look.

"We'd like a room." Madara's voice was genial, albeit reserved. He gripped Saezuri's hand tighter, warning her not to say anything.

"Ah, a one bed or two?" The old man shuffled to the side, eyebrows working up and down as he looked at a board of keys.

"One." Sae's brow lifted and she glanced at Madara, who sent her a stern glance.

"Up the stairs and first door on the left. Have a nice stay, now." Madara let go of Sae's hand, took the key, and paid the man a rolled bundle of yen. He worked his jaw as he counted, before nodding to Madara.

"Come, Saezuri-chan." He beckoned, already starting up the stairs. She rushed behind him, resolutely not making eye contact as the old man sat back in his chair, mumbling.

"Leave your things." Madara helped her out of her pack's straps, tossing it on the single, double-wide bed. The room was painfully plain, without even a picture to boast on the wall. Sae swept her hair back and yearned to just bundle into the bed, despite there being a good two hours of daylight left.

"Dazai-kun." She blinked at the more formal tone of Madara's voice, now that they were alone. When she looked, he had the window open, one leg already out. "We'll be going out this way."

"Whatever for?" She protested, desperately wanting to rest. It had been days since she last was under a roof, and she wanted to take advantage.

"We need to buy you clothes." Madara's eyebrow crept up, watching her dither. She finally sighed and smoothed the front of her simple dress, letting Madara clasp her hand as she neared. "Please say that you remember how to channel chakra?" She swallowed, unsure. Madara glimpsed the brief hesitation in her eyes and narrowed his, pulling her ever closer. He easily bent the rest of the way out the window, chakra sticking his feet just enough to the side of the building to keep him stable. He hiked her out, tucking her under his elbow as he dropped the fifteen feet or so to the ground. He felt her hands scrabble across his chest as the air rushed past, every muscle in her body tensing. He straightened from his crouch and set her on her feet, delicate hands still tensed on his shoulders. Sae glanced up, eyes dilated as she tried to just _breathe_.

"Never do that again." She finally said, pulling her hands back to herself and sweeping her hair back out of her face. She regretted leaving it down today, the dusty blonde strands just brushing her collarbones. "And pray tell, why didn't we just use the door?" Madara's lips curled, amused at how flustered she was. Seeing the expression, Sae turned and made from the alleyway between buildings and out onto the street, Madara one step behind her.

"Because, my dear, I don't want the owner to see us coming and going. For all he is going to know, we're still in that room and will not leave until tomorrow afternoon." He drew level with her, leading her into a small tailor's shop.

"Why hello! How can I help you?" A man came forward, rubbing the palms of his hands together. He was tall and thin, with glassy, wide set eyes and the beginnings of a small mustache.

"We need thick, durable clothing." Madara glanced around the shop, seeing bolts of fabric slid into recesses dotting the walls.

"How will they be put to use? Farming? Cattle-rearing?" The man led them back towards his counter, pulling down canvas-type materials. Madara fingered them all, ultimately rejecting each.

"Please sir, this is a gift for our daughter. She's going off into combat sometime soon, and we wished to give her a farewell present." Sae quickly stepped up, sensing Madara's mood descending. He quirked a brow at her, but kept silent.

"My, I've been showing you all the wrong types of material then." The tailor ushered them into a back room, more stocks of cloth lining the walls. "And may I say ma'am, both you and your husband seem awfully young. I had not assumed..." Madara's eyes slimmed, which alarmed Sae to no end.

"Oh sir, you flatter us! Our dear Kaede-chan is just turning fifteen this fall. I've kept a simple life, I like to think it's kept my visage." Saezuri nervously spouted, her hands clutching at each other. Forget her being only a mere nineteen years old, she had to ham it up, else Madara take this man's life.

"Oh my, just a little sprout then. Sad what they make the kids do these days." The tailor heaved down a thick roll from the wall of a soft, light tan colored material. Madara felt several lengths of it and nodded, though he frowned at the color. "Have you brought the measurements?" The tailor chose an accent of pure white, the same material as the tan.

"Kaede-chan and I are the same, so I should suffice. She just a wee bit taller, I have to admit." Sae's laugh was flimsy as she shuffled forward, allowing the tailor to take numerous measurements. He wrote them all down on a small tablet, finally consulting with Madara as to the style. After much debate as to functionality and presentability, they settled on a shortly sleeved top, a pullover with a hood, a simple skirt, and a double-thick cloak for cold climates. Madara seemed pleased with the tailor's sketches, and Sae saw him pay a hefty sum of yen.

"Give me a week, and this will be ready." Madara paused, before resuming in tucking his change purse into his pocket.

"That will do." It was days longer than he wanted to wait, but he decided it was well worth it. The clothing was sorely needed; Sae seemed to only own shirt dresses and such flimsy tops and bottoms, two had been ruined already just from their light travel.

"I'll be seeing you." Madara turned and Saezuri followed him out, the lump in her throat starting to relax. "A child? What inspired you?" He asked once they were walking on the street, and when she cared to look, Sae caught amusement in his dark eyes.

"As if you would have spared the man if I had not." She huffed, crossing her arms. Madara chuckled mildly, tucking his own hands into the pockets of his pants. "Besides, its a plausible explanation as any." She looked at him, seeing his gesture towards a small grill hut.

"Care to eat?" Sae nodded, sitting on the stool beside him in the open restaurant. She realized how small she felt, next to his bulk; his knees touched the inside of the curved bar, his torso hunched forward as he leaned his elbows on the counter-top. She glanced down at her folded hands, for once feeling dwarfed. She had stood heads above the women at the brothel, skinny and svelte compared to their curvy figures and small frames. They ordered a plate of seafood, filling their stomachs. Little conversation passed, Saezuri preferred to just eat in silence. Some liked to chatter endlessly while they ate, but she found it distasteful. She could remember mealtimes at the brothel, with Fue sat at the head of the table and all the girls clustered around, talking and screeching with laughter and making crude jokes, food coming out of their mouths oftentimes. Sae had always been sat at Fue's right hand, something she had detested with all her being.

"By the time that clothing is ready, I want you able to climb in and out of that window, by yourself." Madara broke the silence, fixing her with a heavy gaze. Sae swallowed, her lips pressing together.

"I hate heights."

"A ninja does not fear something so petty." Madara snipped at her, his eyes slimming. Sae shrank back, adverting her own. She couldn't handle it, not when he was looking at her with those eyes of his, smoldering black that felt like it would scorch her if he willed it.

"I'll....try."

"No, you'll _succeed_." He leaned closer to her, his defined nose almost touching her cheek. Sae fought to keep from instinctively leaning away, else she lose her seat and end up in the dirt.

"Aa." Her hands clenched, as Madara moved away to pay for their bill. She followed him back out into the street, seeing that the sun was starting to wink behind the horizon. Sae frowned when they stood beneath the window they had to enter back through, looking up the immense distance to the small opening.

"You expect me to be able to get into that in a week?" Her frown deepened, and she nearly screamed when Madara's hands came out of nowhere, latching onto her throat and face, respectively. She almost lost her footing when he pushed her into the neighboring building, his bulk looming over her.

"You _will_." His voice was sinister, a low husk. She swallowed, feeling the pressure on her throat tighten. She pawed at his forearms and the feeling of deadly, chiseled muscles made the knot of anxiety jump higher into her throat, "I'll not ferry around a helpless female for long; you'll become proficient if it drives you to death." The sudden pressure was gone, and when Sae opened her clenched eyes, he was standing below the window, waiting for her. She hesitantly gave him her hand, and he walked up the wall, hauling her up by her wrist with him. Saezuri's shoulder socket screamed with pain and she forced herself not to squirm and put further pressure on it. Madara slipped into the window, and instead of pulling her through as she expected, her left her hand to clutch at the window sill, leaving her hanging.

"O-oi! Uchiha-san!" Sae's voice nervously trilled, as she fought to get a grip on the wood with her other hand. No answer came from the room, and when she glanced down, her toes curled at the height below her.

"Hey! Uchiha-SAN!" She screeched as her hand slipped a fraction, resolutely heaving with her arm muscles. It took her a good five minutes of pulling and squirming with her feet against the siding, finally getting herself to fall inside and onto the floor with a loud thud. Her blood roared in her veins when she saw Madara already lounging on the bed, ankles crossed and his hands behind his head.

"_You._ You-!" She was so mad, she couldn't even think of anything to articulate. Heaving a huff, she went to the other side on the bed and crawled into the covers, resolutely turning her back to the man on her left. After sitting there steaming for a good ten more minutes, glaring at the wall, she dropped off into sleep. Madara glanced over, finally feeling her relax, and chuckled mildly. He was glad to have found a spot of anger in her; he would be exploiting that in the future. Getting up to shut out the lights, he climbed into his side of the bed, still amused at the tight, compact ball Saezuri had curled into.


	3. Chapter 3

I can't stop writing! Break ends tomorrow, so I figure I might as well keep posting.

I'm ahead in my material, which is a very, very good thing for all you sweetiecheeks. :3

And your reviews are wonderful, they make me squeal with love! 3

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When Sae woke, she saw Madara sitting on the edge of the bed, lacing his boots. She rolled over and immediately groaned, her arms throbbing.

"Get ready; you're learning to re-gain control your chakra today." Despite the scare he gave her yesterday, Madara was pleased to note that she didn't fear him. No, instead she just gave him a dark look and rose, her hair a tangled mess and her dress rumpled, and went into the bathroom. Not fifteen minutes later she came out, wearing simple black capris and a gray shirt, her light hair scrapped back into a bun. Madara locked the door behind them and clasped Sae's hand in his own as they descended the stairs, to keep their charade in front of the owner. He took her out into the surrounding land, stopping in a small cluster of trees.

"How much do you remember?" He crossed his arms as he faced her, watching as she glanced down, thinking.

"I can remember all the hand seals, and the general theory. I used to use it to ease the strain for some of the heavier chores back at the brothel." She spoke, glancing up at him once more. Madara found that with her hair out of her face, she looked even more an innocent woman. Her clean face tilted towards his, dark eyes searching his face as he thought.

"Good. So you've at least kept the ability." He pondered for a moment, "Give me a clone." At her blank look, he ran through the hand signs for her. She fumbled with them, but her jutsu worked, and a copy, albeit a flickering, wavering one, appeared. He found the utmost details there; if not for the instability it'd pass for a perfect copy.

"Again." And so he spent the better half of the morning getting her control honed down, until she could create three, functioning clones. Sae could feel a bead of sweat running down her temple, and her insides felt like they were quivering, unused to chakra as they were.

And so the week passed. Every morning they would go out to the same cluster of trees, where Saezuri would sweat and work, while Madara would lean against a tree, picking at his nails or sharpening kunai, occasionally calling out pointers. He could see her fatigue, but it pleased him that she was working so hard. The last morning, he addressed chakra walking. She had trouble, but of all the skills they had reviewed, this she picked up the quickest. He supposed that Sae had used this particular kind of chakra with her chores; enhancing her strength to move furniture, increasing traction on slippery floors, of the like.

"Time for you to demonstrate." Madara crossed his arms as they later stood in the alleyway, Sae before him. Her bones quivered from all the earlier exercise, from falling from trees and landing harshly. She looked up at the window; the height suddenly seemed dwarfed compared to the tall beech trees she had been faced with not an hour ago. Placing a hand flat against the stucco wall, she applied chakra, smartly getting a feel for how much she would need in her feet. Holding up a seal, she concentrated for many moments, before bursting up the wall in a gout of energy, catching the windowsill with a quick hand and shoving off the wall, effectively catapulting herself in. She crumpled to the floor inside and crashed about, having gauged too much against gravity and used more force than necessary, but a small chitter of a laugh escaped her lips. She rolled to her feet and stuck her head out the window, seeing Madara standing below, clapping his hands quite sarcastically.

"Well done." He slipped his hands back into his pockets, tilting his head back to look at her, "Now come back down so we can get your clothes and leave." Sae looked at the ground below and slid out of window, sticking to the wall like a cat with chakra and slowly slipping down. Her palms were scratched up, but it was a small price to pay to arrive safely instead of taking the risk of jumping and breaking herself. Saezuri walked equally with Madara to the shop, knowing the town like the back of her hand after exploring most nights.

"Is it finished Riota-san?" She schooled herself to be demure, softening her tone. The tailor came out of his back room, a package neatly wrapped in thick paper in his arms. He handed it to Madara, and smiled at Sae.

"I included a good, strong set of gloves and sewed metal inserts for better protection inside the clothing, free of charge. I do hope your little girl fares well." The tailor bowed, while Saezuri was stunned. Madara smirked and mockingly bowed as well, tucking the package under his arm and placing the other on Saezuri's shoulder.

"Oh, thank you. Really." Sae breathed, wondrous at how her lie had morphed. Madara ushered her out, promptly pushing the package into her arms.

"Get changed and throw away those clothes. We have no need of them anymore."

".........Guard this alley. No looking, either." Sae's voice was stern as she ducked between two narrow buildings, quickly shedding her clothes after making sure Madara's back was to her. She donned the new, tan ones, marveling at how they fit every curve of her perfectly, the snug material thick and comforting. Her simple closed-toe shoes seemed out of place, the commoner's item clashing horribly with the battle-suited rest of her. She wore the skirt and top, pulling on the gloves. Saezuri twisted this way and that, feeling the stiffness of the thin metal slabs separately covering her vital spots.

"Is it good?" She walked out, letting Madara observe. His sharp eyes raked over her, pausing on her feet.

"We'll get you boots the next town over. We need to leave else we'll start raising suspicions." Sae nodded at his words, stretching like a cat. A small curve raised her lips as she trotted after Madara, donning her sack with the cloak and pullover in it.

"How far until Grass Country?" Saezuri asked once they were out on the trail, the town a small dark blot on the horizon behind them.

"Some days until we come to the capital. I need to speak with some people there." Madara answered, wind tugging at his free, dark locks. He glanced down at her, gazing at how she happily trotted to keep up with his long legs, breath smooth in her lungs. The light colors of her outfit definitely suited her, he decided.

"It's nice to be moving again." She commented after a lengthy silence, the afternoon sun bright. Open fields lay sprawled for as far as the eye could see, not a tree in sight.

"Aa." Madara lightly agreed, picking up his pace. Sae loped after him, saying nothing. The trail was long in front of them, and he wanted to find some kind of cover for the night. For hours they traveled, the grass slowly growing higher and higher, until on either side of the trail they grew higher than Madara's head.

"Myyyyyyyy, my, what do we have here?" A ninja dashed out of the grass, a kusarigama held and ready in his hand. Madara halted, throwing out an arm and catching Sae, as her shoes slid through the dust. She tensed and stepped a few feet back, skipping to the side in alarm as another ninja burst out of the grass, joining the first.

"Skittish one, isn't she?" The second ninja laughed, while Madara narrowed his eyes. Both wore the headband for Hidden Grass, and from the looks of it, were chuunin.

"We're just passing through." His voice was dangerously low, while his eyes threatened to bleed red.

"Passing through restricted territory, that is." The first ninja sneered, raising his kusarigama. Madara lifted a brow, silently challenging him.

"Uchi-" Saezuri started to protest, only to be stunned silent as the two ninja charged. The first lashed out with his kusarigama, which Madara caught on his forearm harmlessly, while he tried to reach out to clothesline the second and keep him from Sae. The wily chuunin ducked however, slipping out a tanto and slashing towards Saezuri. The sudden threat sent her heart thundering, and despite having no training, her hand shot out to grasp the chuunin's wrist, twisting her torso while the blade missed her by a hairsbreadth. She froze as the chuunin ripped his arm from hers, his tanto slicing her palm open. The sudden, blooming pain brought a small whimper from her lips as she cradled it close, unknowingly spilling blood down her shirt. Madara shoved off the first chuunin with a kick to the gut that sent him crashing along the trail, while Madara leapt into the air and flipped around, his foot landing on the other chuunin's shoulder and plowing him straight into the ground; a further kick sent him joining the first, who was just recuperating. Saezuri wizened up as the first chuunin started flying through two dozen handseals, glaring.

"A knife or something would be nice!" She shouted at Madara, who wordlessly snatched a kunai from his belt, carelessly throwing it behind him in her direction. She fumbled to catch it one handed, thankful it was her dominant hand that was still in tact. Finally gripping the weapon and avoiding its honed edge, she awkwardly stood with it held it front of her face, remembering the basic defensive positions from the academy. The chuunin finished his handseals before Madara reached him; huge tendrils of grass twisted from the fields on either side of them, heading straight for Sae. She ducked under the first just as Madara reached the ninja, and a loud squelch came from his direction. Saezuri had no time to look, however, as the second tendril closed in; she skipped to the side and sliced through half with the kunai. It withered and shot past, while the first came curving back around, piercing her side. She screeched and fell to her back, hacking wildly at the plantlife that was still trying to drill through her. Just as she was about to break through, three darts of fire came and incinerated it, which caused Sae to curse and try to scrabble away from the smoking cinders. Her head whipped around, to see Madara lowering his hand from his mouth, the two chuunin slaughtered at his feet.

"Relax." His low voice smoothed as he hurried to her side, immediately yanking her hands away from the wound. He looked for a second and pressed his finger inside, making Sae screech with pain. "None of your organs were hit, you'll be fine." He pulled out a spray bottle and bandages, and lifted her shirt enough to free the hole in her side. She huffed and tried to writhe away when he sprayed it with antiseptic, but his irons hands caught her.

"Quit moving." He snapped at her, his patience thinning, "It's not even a serious wound, you're lucky we're taking the time to treat it now." He lifted her roughly and let her slump her forehead against his shoulder as he wound bandages around her stomach, pulling them snug. She whimpered as he tied them, before picking up her sliced palm.

"It...hurts. It freaking hurts." She hissed into his shoulder, her good hand moving to press against her stomach. He finished with her palm, standing and lifting her with him.

"This is ridiculous." Sae cautiously let go of Madara, testing her feet. The first step sent her crippling with pain, and she would have fell had Madara not caught her wrist.

"Really, all this over such a small wound. Learn to deal." He hauled her onto his back, sighing.

"....Thank you." Her soft voice was right in his ear, as her arms hung over his shoulders, bent and gently gripping at his ribs. Madara just snorted, sprinting away. He could hear her grinding her teeth as he increased his pace, flying over the land. For nearly an hour he dashed, putting distance between them and the kill site. The last thing Madara wanted was more grass ninja on their trail; he didn't think he had the patience to deal with them. He adverted off to the left, foraging through the tall grass and coming down to a small stream. Saezuri groaned when he set her on the ground, lifting herself up to kneel.

"Poor clothes." She finally commented, glancing down at her ripped, blood-soaked shirt. Madara glanced down at her, hit with the sudden urge to laugh. He expected anger, tears even, but instead he got a casual, 'Poor clothes'.

Well, he wasn't complaining.

"Bed down, you need sleep if that's going to heal." Madara nodded at her stomach, turning to wash his knives in the river. To his surprise, Sae joined him, submerging her shirt in the trickling water. She was bent oddly to avoid strain on her wound, but she appeared to be managing.

"Hmph." He turned his attention back to his kunai, washing the coagulating blood downstream and stripping the scent. He oiled and honed them back to perfection while she scrubbed her blood from the material, eventually crawling over to flatten enough grass to spread the shirt to dry. She had her cloak clasped at her neck, and when Madara cared to look some time later, her saw her curled in a nest of grass, dead asleep. He shook his head and moved to collect his dinner for the night, summoning rations.

She was toughening, that was for sure.


	4. Chapter 4

Longish chapter. (:

Updates after this will most likely be slower; I've caught up to where I'm at, and I'm getting swamped with school once more.

Sigh. I have a 5-7 page paper due tomorrow that I haven't even started on. Booo.

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Madara let Sae drop off his back, the capital visible sprawling across the land, a mumble of human noises audible.

"Let me see your stomach." Madara kneeled next to her, red seeping into his eyes when he beheld the bandages covering her wound. Taking a kunai, he slit the graying cloth with a swift motion, making Saezuri flinch.

"What are you doing?" She asked, and furrowed her brows when Madara stayed silent, running through over a dozen handseals too fast for her to even begin to comprehend. His hand glowed green, and when he pressed on her wound, it was a terrible sensation. Her flesh felt like it was crawling off her bones, heat swallowing the area.

"Relax." Madara snapped at her when she tried shoving his hand away, redoubling his efforts. Sae grit her teeth, flinging out a hand and clenching a fistful of grass as she fought not to writhe away.

"What did you do?!" She flung herself up when Madara withdrew his hand, surprised not to feel any pangs.

"I healed you. We may need to flee, and if that's the case, I need you to be able to run." His eyes smoothed back to ebony, making Saezuri narrow her own.

"And what exactly is that? I've seen it multiple times now."

"Later." Madara loped off, leaving her to roll up on her feet and dash after him, surprised at his pace.

"Why didn't you just heal me in the first place? We could have saved hours of traveling!" Sae caught up with him, jogging to stay with his smooth pace.

"Because I am not practiced, nor did I think that something that _small_ should affect you so!" He rounded on her, face incensed. Sae was afraid that he would strike her, and when he shifted on his feet, she flinched. "Let's go." His expression was unreadable as they resumed towards the gates, passing through with minimal trouble from the guards. Saezuri found the city to be a grimy place, buildings dulling and the streets having mud caked between the cobblestone.

"You need to be sharp here, Dazai-kun. As you've already experienced, officials of the grass are unhesitant as soon as they believe they have the right to strike you down." Madara spoke fast, moving with purpose towards the richer areas. Sae fought to keep up with him, oftentimes having to duck between people or sweep around, following his broad shoulders and free hair that stood above most obstacles.

"What are we doing? Is it anything that I have to worry about?" Sae questioned, finally matching Madara's pace and drawing level with him, enough to glance at his face as she spoke.

"When I say run, flee for your life. I'll not tarry behind to save you." He adverted his eyes down to meet hers, and she could see he meant his words.

"Can I get a headstart now, then?" She asked, swallowing the lump that was rising in her throat.

"Don't be ridiculous, I need you to remain inconspicuous." Almost as an afterthought, he found her hand, clasping it in his over-large one. "Here." He stopped in front of a two-story building, the windows barred against thieves. It was an ornate affair, with carvings laid in the mouldings, and when Madara pulled her inside, it was just as decorated.

"I don't believe my eyes." A middle-aged woman drawled from the far side of the room, sitting on an upraised platform swathed with pillows. She drew on the elegant pipe in her hand, letting smoke spill out over the long stem, "What brings you here, rogue?" She cocked a brow, beckoning them closer with a lazy hand.

"I need the information I stored in that boy's mind." Madara swept closer, Saezuri following two steps behind, her eyes jumping from place to place, unsure of what to absorb. The wood floors echoed dully under Madara's boots, her own shoes just sounding faint whispers.

"Jin? You know, that kid has not done one favorable thing since you dumped him on me." The woman's tone turned ornery, as she leaned forward, a hand on her knee. "OI!" She raised and snapped her fingers, a small girl scurrying out from behind the shoji to her left, "Bring me the brat. And tell him that yes, he has to, and no, someone else can't do it." The girl bowed shortly and her feet thudded as she ran further inside, disappearing from view. Several tense moments passed, with the woman tapping a surly finger against what she was sitting on, her other hand loftily holding her pipe.

"You called?" A boy almost Sae's age opened the shoji, stepping forward. He had dull brown hair and a gaunt face, high cheekbones giving him an exotic air.

"Yes I called, you ungrateful brat." The woman snapped, her raven black hair shifting as she leaned forward, "This man," She flicked her hand, pipe pointing sharply to Madara, "Has a claim on you. Give him what he wants." Jin glanced at Madara, paling when he realized who he was looking at.

"Ituko, I owe him nothing! I swear it!" Jin's voice skyrocketed upwards, betraying his young age, as he spun back to face the woman. Her ornate headdress jangled as she stood, slitted kimono revealing much more than Sae wanted to see. Ituko seemed to possess no body shyness, her ample cleavage showed and the slitted kimono bared her thigh, where a sliver of a winding tattoo could be seen.

"Owe him nothing, pah. He _owns_ you, quite literally." Ituko's face was delightfully pleased at Jin's blanch, a smug expression settling into her features. Despite how arrogant she was, the bearing flattered her. Saezuri got the feeling that the woman's true colors were showing, as an overindulgent, cocky pit boss. Jin sent a panicked look back towards Madara, going rigid as a board. When he raised no further protest, Sae came forward enough to glance at Madara's face, and blinked when she saw the same as when he had used the healing jutsu. Beautiful tomoe swirled in his eyes, swathed in a demonic red. Saezuri watched as Jin came forward seemingly against his will, a terrified expression carved onto his face. Madara stripped his glove off and raised his hand, settling it onto Jin's forehead, sharingan spinning faster. Sae could hear a faint _shwuuuuu_ coming from them, and was fascinated.

"Euh- ah, AH!" Jin's eyes rolled back into his head, as he tottered back, falling to the floor limp as a ragdoll.

"Ai, remove him." Ituko toked on her pipe, while the same little girl scurried forward and dragged Jin back behind the shoji, her face coloring red at the effort she exerted. "Did you get everything?" Ituko arched a brow at Madara, settling a hand on her curvy hip. She was dangerously alluring, even to Sae. She could see the power the woman held, and her brusque manner only amplified the feeling that she would hold no bars against anything that crossed her path and offended her.

"Aa." Madara slipped his hand back into his glove, flexing the leather. He glanced at Sae, his eyes speaking to her. She just furrowed her brows however, not understanding.

"About payment, I want enough yen to cover what a pain in the ass that boy has been. More if you want him to live through the rest of the year, especially." Ituko settled to business, her eyes hard and shining. Before she could even comprehend, Madara snatched Sae up and slashed his arm out, smoke bombs hitting the floor in a curved arc just before Ituko.

"DAMN IT!" Her strong voice rang as she coughed on the smoke, and Sae fought to discern what way was up, and what way was down as Madara's shoulder pressed into her gut, the man moving with a panther grace that left her head spinning. Her limbs deadened as he jumped several times, and when she finally gained any sense of the world back, he was setting her down in a small alcove, on top of a roof several stories from the ground.

"You need to learn signaling." Madara spoke, a hand resting on his crouched knee. Saezuri looked at him, blinking when she saw that his eyes were still red.

"These are weapons, aren't they?" She sat up on her knees, delicately touching the corners of Madara's eyes. To her surprise, he just blinked slowly, not knocking her hands away as she thought he would.

"Aa." His lips quirked, tomoe transforming into pinwheels. Sae fumbled back, startled. "They're called sharingan." Madara let them fade, his eyes once again the hard ebony she was accustomed to. Sae stood and flicked her cloak over her shoulders, chilled from the rush of adrenaline that had coated her bones.

"Next person to piss off?" Saezuri looked at Madara, who stood and chuckled.

"I see you're beginning to learn." He jumped from the roof, landing on the next one over. Sae hesitated, precariously standing at the very edge, before pumping chakra to her feet and jumping. Over-judging, she flew across the opening and then some, her feet crippling as she tried to land, sending her crashing along the roof. Popping up, she brushed herself off, angry red scratches baring themselves on the inside of her elbows and on her knees. Sae snapped her cloak back around her, seeing Madara shake his head at her as he hooked a hand and vaulted over the edge, landing at the bottom of the alleyway some three stories below. Sae frowned and peered over the edge, to see him already making his way out into the open.

"Hey, wait!" She called, sticking to the wall with chakra and sliding down, her gloves protecting her hands unlike the last time she had attempted it. Landing, she sprinted after Madara, cloak flying and snapping loudly.

"Our next place is with the leading crime boss. Ituko is mere fodder compared to him, make sure you watch yourself." Madara spoke as soon as she caught up, staring forward with an intensity that set Sae's nerves on edge. She glanced around, seeing large estates and fine restaurants dotting the streets. Saezuri pulled her cloak closer, uncomfortable. The obvious riches around her only made her want to withdraw into herself, having grown up mediocre in Iwa, and the area the brothel had been located was squalid, at best.

"Is he going to yell and make us have to make a hasty escape also?"Sae's voice was deadpan as she stared at what looked to be a lord, escorted by three uptight guards. She paused when she heard Madara's hearty laugh, abruptly glancing up at him.

"Contrarily, I could have his life if I wanted." Madara's voice dropped, his words heavy. The hairs on the back of Sae's neck rose, as she quickly looked to her shoes.

"Oh." She followed Madara into a simple restaurant, one that was not as ornate or large as she had seen. Bewildered, she wondered if he simply wanted to sit and eat before meeting with the boss, but it all clicked when their 'server' led them into the back and down a flight of stairs. The basement was cold, and while Sae was thankful for the warmth of her cloak, she felt sequestered and claustrophobic.

"Uchiha Madara?" A small man spoke up, from where he was standing in the dank hallway. He was a good three inches shorter than Sae, and his sheared hair did nothing to alleviate his boyish look. "Come in." He held open a door, letting first Madara pass, then Sae. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye as she passed, refraining from shivering at the malicious glint in his brown eyes. Pressing closer to Madara, she kept her eyes glued to the small man as he came across, lighting several more candles and settling into an armchair at the opposite of the room. "To what do I owe this visit?" He was at ease, crossing his legs and clasping his hands.

"You have not followed the instructions I left you with." Madara's voice was menacing, his posture shifting. Saezuri subtly inched away, her nerves on fire with the sense to run. She suddenly understood just what he was capable of; his earlier confrontations with her were nothing compared to the malice he was simmering in now.

"I believe you're mistaken. I-" The boss's words were smooth, trying with charm to win Madara over. A sharp motion cut him off however, as Madara strode forward.

"Ituko stills knows nothing of me, which makes one confer that _none_ of the other pit bosses know. The city is still in Hidden Grass's control, and here you sit, saying I'm mistaken?" His words grew ever more heavy as he finally stopped right in front of the boss, leaning forward. Madara said something low in the man's ear, and Sae jumped when Madara shoved an unknown katana through the man's gut.

"G-get...him." The boss's voice gurgled with blood, a faint trickle running down his chin. Instantly, two ninja sprang from the shadows, both decapitated easily by Madara, who slipped the blade from the boss and brandished it. Saezuri skittered to the side as three more ninja dashed into the room, warm blood splattering her cheek. Ignoring the scuffle going on, she searched with her eyes until she saw another katana hung on the wall, a twin to the one in Madara's hand. Darting across the room and snatching it, she yanked the unsharpened metal from it's scabbard after a few tense moments of pulling, the decorational blade having been glued inside. A final ninja added to the mess in the room, glancing from Madara being ganged up on by the first three, to Sae who stood against the wall, blade limp in her hands. Making the obvious choice, the nin went after Sae, who squeaked as a shuriken buried itself in the stone next to her head.

"Go, Saezuri." Madara's deep voice had her head snapping around, seeing that the three nin were still exchanging blows with him, all injured but still very much alive. Sae lifted the blade and caught the fourth nin's fist on the flat edge, tilting the metal and throwing him off balance. Taking the opportunity, she sprinted from the room, hearing him curse and give chase. Bursting out the door into the restaurant, there were several surprised gazes on her as she slashed out with the blade, shattering one of the fancy lights on the wall. Glass rained to the floor as she jumped over it, a woman screaming as the katana slashed the air with her stride.

"Stop her!" The ninja that followed her yelled as he darted up the stairs, cursing as he stepped in the glass. He only wore tabi on his feet, the sharp shards cutting through the material. Sae tucked the sword down and prepared to break out one of the full sized windows on her left, stuttering in surprise when the server from before blocked her path, an irregular kunai in his grasp. The blade was long and curved, obviously honed to a sharp edge. The other ninja from the basement cornered her from behind, hands held at ready to grab her. Saezuri looked between them, panicking as they both charged for her. Breaking the clasp on her cloak, she threw it upwards and rolled down, using it as a diversion to swing the katana around, hacking at the server's ankles. He toppled down and she went for the window, getting her arms cut as she broke out of it. The ninja bounded over the server, who was rolling on the ground and groaning, giving chase. Twice Sae had to fend him off, once by stabbing towards his eye with the blade, using his blanch to dip around a corner and further herself from him, and the other when he pounced from on top of a crate in an alleyway, intending to land on her shoulders to drive her into the ground. Sae twisted however, slashing the katana upward and catching him lightly in the shoulder. The dulled blade did nothing but bruise, but it gave her time enough.

"Oi!" The ninja called as she dashed out into the open street, many of the noble men and women accosted at her appearance. Sae whipped around, running towards what she thought was the outskirts of the city. Before she even made it two streets over, however, officials bearing the symbol of the hidden grass surrounded her, meaning to subdue. Sae skittered to the side and raised the katana as a sudden gout of smoke covered the area, and screeched when she was snatched off her feet.

"You don't listen, do you." Madara's voice stunned her, as he tightened the arm slung around her waist, parrying a handful of kunai with his other hand. When he touched down outside the cloud of smoke, he manhandled Sae around, swinging her so that she crashed against his back. She instinctively clutched her arm around his neck as he leaped once more, thankful, as she would have crashed to the street if she hadn't. She tucked the hand with the katana still gripped in it near, the blade harmlessly pressed between her and Madara.

"What of the boss?" Saezuri asked, her mouth close to Madara's ear. She heard and felt him grunt, as he lighted down on top of a low building, dashing and leaping another story up.

"Ituko will be taking over. I made that _quite_ clear." He twisted and threw kunai with explosive tags attached, clearing out a good half of the nin that were giving chase. Sae nodded even though he couldn't see, burying her face in the crook of his neck as the smoke smarted her eyes. She could smell him, a masculine scent that had the hairs on her neck rising to attention.

"That should stop her from griping about that supposed debt, then." Saezuri observed, awed. Madara had just effectively solved both problems with violence. She hadn't thought it possible.

"Aa. Ituko will be quite pleased." He turned into a small alleyway, yanking open a shoji and disappearing inside. The ninja were audible as they dashed past, shouting at each other at their disappearance.

"Who are you?!" A woman was up against the opposite wall, her small son forced behind her.

"Simple refugees. Don't be alarmed." Saezuri immediately answered without thinking, smiling to reassure them. The little boy looked at her with wide eyes, before starting to cry. Sae glanced down at herself and saw that her clothes were rumpled and had bloodstains, the katana in hand, and her hair quite disheveled. Cursing, she started to smooth out her hair, trying to appease the boy.

"Shh." Madara raised a finger to his lips, his stare turning murderous when the woman screamed, her son crying louder.

"Relax! Stop it, we won't hurt you!" Sae cried out, alarmed at the racket that was going on.

"You two there, get out of my house!" A man, presumably the woman's husband appeared, a bow in hand pulled taut with an arrow aiming straight for Sae.

"Oh, perfect." She huffed, following after Madara as he ripped through the shoji to their right, going further inside the house. The arrow whistled as it shot past Sae's shoulder, nicking her skin and burying itself in the wall, quite deeply. She swallowed and doubled her pace after Madara, following him through a sitting room and kitchen, to come out inside a private courtyard between four houses. He leapt up onto the roof once more, Sae following after him. She under-judged her chakra however, and ended up clutching at the drainage system, having to heave herself up.

"We have to get back to the outskirts." Madara slowed just enough for Saezuri to catch up, her breath ragged and legs weak. A ninja crossed their path, and before he could call out, he froze and dropped limp. Sae glanced at Madara to see his sharingan spinning, before she ducked her head and fought to keep the pace they were running at. The buildings slowly morphed into mediocre affairs, and eventually Madara pulled her down and into a small alcove.

"Oh," Sae huffed, dropping to sit cross-legged on the ground, her chest heaving, "I never want to do that again." She looked at the wrecked katana in her hand, and marveled at how easily it had been torn apart. The hilt was unraveling, and there were several dents in the metal from her haphazard use of it. In a master's hands, she predicted it would have immediately broken.

"Two streets over, there's a house we can stay in, until we can escape the city." Madara was infuriatingly composed, breath smooth in his lungs. Sae suspected he had stopped merely to let her catch her breath. She rolled to her feet and nodded, clutching the blade close. It was her only protection, and she'd be damned if she willingly parted with it. Madara dashed off, Sae right behind him. He slid around a corner and leapt up on the canopy of one building, springing into the open window of another. Saezuri followed, albeit in a much clumsier way, knocking her head quite forcefully on her way into the window. She stumbled to gain footing on the wood floor, clutching at the armor coating Madara's shoulder else she fall over.

"We'll be fine here." He cocked a brow at her state, allowing her time to recover.

"G-good." She gasped, straightening. She raised the katana, studying the fraying weapon. "I rather liked fighting with this."

"Fighting?" Madara snorted, moving down a flight of stairs, and into the main interior of the house.

"Oi, I did rather well, all things considered." Sae piped up, irritated. He ignored her and sat at the kitchen table, unfurling a scroll Saezuri had yet to see.

"I grabbed it after you ran." Madara supplied at her curious look, not paying attention as Sae set her katana on one of the counters, washing her hands and face in the small sink.

"What does it say?" She came and leaned over his shoulder, drying at her neck with a small hand towel. All she could see were numbers, added and subtracted into nonsensical totals.

"It's all the money that Yusuke was bringing in."

"Yusuke?" Sae questioned, not recognizing the name.

"The crime boss. He was supposed to supply a certain percent to my organization, which I can see he did not." Madara furrowed his brow, further tracing the sums. "I'll have to have Ituko correct that."

"Mnh." Sae hummed, moving away. She stretched, wincing as the cuts on her arms pulled. Moving to the small couch in the adjacent room, she mourned the loss of her cloak as she laid down, resolving to get a few hours of sleep before they had to move again.

Madara rolled the scroll back together, tying the intricate knot with barely a thought. He moved to clean up in the bathroom, pausing when he saw Saezuri curled on the musty couch, fast asleep. The girl had the canny ability to fall asleep at will, he had noticed. Madara frowned when he saw how her legs were banged up after fleeing across the city, and all of the lacerations on her arms. It was dangerous to keep her with him, he knew. At least until she gained a decent foundation of defense. And the woman was valuable, simply because she did not shirk from him as most others did; she was the first he had found that he could reveal everything to, besides Zetsu. And Zetsu himself did not camouflage him, simply by rule of appearance. Saezuri, though... she was normal enough to pass scrutiny, and by extension, help _him_ pass scrutiny. Madara continued through, taking a shower in the meager bathroom. All the while, he contemplated. He had achieved what had required his direct attentions; Sae would have time to build on her skills once more. However, he needed to travel to Ame, to hammer out the final details in his plans with Pein. And that was something he did not want Sae privy too, however useful she was. And Ame by nature would not question his existence. Madara was safe from detection there, simply because Pein was the chief authority.

He had to send Sae away, both for her training, and Madara's benefit. He mused it over while he paced around the small house, oftentimes passing by and staring at her slumbering form, contemplative. Itachi and Kisame was his safest bet, but Madara did not want her getting close to Itachi. He _knew_ that the boy wanted him dead, and the slim chance that he would turn Saezuri against him worried him. The only other alternative was to send her with Sasori and Deidara, as he would never leave her with Kakuzu and Hidan, their natures being too volatile. But, Deidara... Madara did not trust him, not yet. He had been conducted into Akatsuki merely a month ago, and from Sasori's reports, was not adjusting well to being under authority once more.

Itachi and Kisame. He had no choice.


	5. Chapter 5

Short, I know. I figured I'd post this as I'm hammering out the kinks, though.

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"You said that you liked that katana."

"But, Uchiha-san! This is just too much, I can't-"

"And I agree that a katana will suit you."

"No, it costs far too much." Sae's tone was sharp, as she spun to look up at the impassive mask of Madara's face.

"Nonsense. There will be a flood of funds from Ituko, anyway. You don't have to worry about it." He frowned at her, looking back to the glass display case. A katana was there, the blade straight and thin, a weapon _made_ for a skilled ninja. It also cost hundreds of thousands of yen.

"No, I-" Saezuri's voice warbled off, defeated when Madara got the store clerk to remove the blade from the case. He promptly handed it off to her, nodding in approval when she cautiously took it from the sheath. The metal gleamed, and she saw a far more efficient weapon than the decorative blade had been. She was almost reluctant to hold it, scared of what she would become after she was trained.

"Think of it as an investment, if it bothers you so." Madara spoke when he saw the unease in her face, misreading her thoughts, "I'll expect you to pay me back by growing proficient enough to defend yourself." Sae slid the katana back into the sheath, saying nothing. Madara had already bought her shinobi boots and a set of basic throwing weapons, and now this? Nobody had ever been so generous in her lifetime; Sae had had to fight for allowance for decent clothes from the brothel, Fue being a penny-pinching, tight-lipped entrepreneur.

"Thank you." She bowed to him, the katana clutched against her chest. She didn't see the shrewd gaze Madara gave to the back of her head, and stumbled in surprised when he cuffed her with his hand.

"Quit groveling and let's go." She looked at his back, blinking. Her head stung where he had struck her, but he had softened his hand, she knew.

"Aa." She hurried after him, slinging the katana onto her back. His mood had been pensive all morning, distracted even as they had to creep through the streets, avoiding all of the officials on patrol. "How will we get out of the city? All the gates are guarded." Sae voiced her thoughts as they slipped back out into the street, Madara leading through less densely populated areas.

"I'll worry about that. We'll be parting ways soon, anyhow." Sae halted dead at his words, lips parted slightly.

"What? Why would you- _That doesn't make any sense!_" She stood her ground when Madara turned, his eyes narrowed.

"You're a burden, as you are. You'll be training while I'm off doing business." He watched her take offense, growing deathly still.

"Burden?" She whispered, dark eyes alight with the most life Madara had seen in them yet.

"Aa." He drawled, looking down at her, "I've had to save your neck, several times."

"I-"

"I'll be leaving you with Itachi and Kisame, if you remember them." Madara resumed walking, leaving Saezuri to catch up. She was incensed, he could tell.

"But I-"

"I don't want to hear anymore." Madara cut her off, his tone sharp. Sae closed her mouth with an audible snap, her mouth a grim, resolved line.

"Fine." She quipped, resolutely remaining silent for the rest of the time Madara navigated out towards the gates, eventually stopping at a small flick of his arm. Two guards stood by the wrought iron gates, quietly serving their shift. Saezuri's breath stilled when the sharingan appeared in Madara's eyes, fascinated at the slow way the tomoe churned about. Her eyes darted away when she heard a dull thump, seeing the two guards both drop off their feet.

"Let's go." He dashed through the gate, Sae right on his heels. The katana bashed uncomfortably against her back, but she just quickened her pace, trying hard to keep up with Madara. His gait was smooth, long limbs easily traversing the earth. They passed through, seeing very few settlements until it was wilderness all around. And the whole time, Sae's mind was reeling.

Had she done something?

Madara slowed some hours later, letting Sae catch her breath. Sweat soaked her limbs, and she just tumbled into the dust when she comprehended she was getting a break.

"Here is where we part." Madara crouched by her, arms resting casually on his knees. Saezuri rolled up into a sitting position, her muscles screaming.

"You'll come back for me, right?" Her voice was faint, eyes downcast. Too many times, had she been hoodwinked by men. They used to sweet-talk her, back when she was under Fue's control, and she had always fell for it, hook, line, and sinker when she was young. So young. It was only when the other girls would make scathing comments, that her eyes began to open. She had grown up in that brothel, learned what all kinds of men there were.

"Aa. Two weeks." Madara set a hand on her head, powerful fingers burying themselves in her light hair. "Train hard." He stood, looking down at her, "Keep traveling west. You'll meet Itachi and Kisame somewhere along the way. They know the situation." Madara cocked his head at her, contemplative.

"And only call you Tobi, yes?" Sae's mouth quirked, even though her eyes were still muted. She was tired of traveling, _so_ tired.

"Right." He nodded, turning and vanishing with a puff. Saezuri sighed and brushed herself off, commanding her weary bones to rise. She glanced at the sun and set off at a leisurely pace, kicking her feet through the thick dust underfoot. It was strange, traveling alone. She had the déjà vu feeling, of when her mother first had died; wandering the country side, looking for anything that would feed her enough to survive. Saezuri squinted her eyes, blinking when two small black figures appeared down the trail. The grasses waved in the wind, as she picked her pace up.

"Dazai Saezuri?" The smaller of the two men spoke, the one Sae recognized as Itachi. She marveled for a moment at his soft-spoken voice, nodding.

"Yes." She smiled a little, shifting the katana on her back.

"My, you're that woman that was with Tobi." Kisame spoke, his sharp teeth glinting in the afternoon sun.

"....Yes." Sae shifted, uncomfortable. She had the briefest suspicion that Itachi knew that Tobi was Madara, when he probed her curiously with his gaze.

"Maa, I suppose I'll be the one teaching her about that blade, Itachi-san?" How polite Kisame was had Saezuri blinking, surprised. All appearances aside, she had figured she would be dealing with people of a more... rude nature. Missing nin weren't the most pleasant bunch, she knew. The few encounters with them at the brothel had left her jaded, on every account they had been crude.

"Aa." Itachi answered, making Sae's head reel. How like Madara he sounded; they had that same deep drawl.

"We'll get to that tomorrow, Dazai-kun. I can see you're about to drop." Kisame flashed his teeth, beady eyes fixated on her. Sae just nodded, not offended by the blunt statement at all.

"The west base is only a few miles." Itachi moved, clearing off the trail to the northwest. Trotting to catch up, Sae wearily adjusted the katana on her back, neck muscles aching from its minuscule weight.

* * *

Thoughts? (:


	6. Chapter 6

I enjoyed writing this one, alot~

* * *

"Tell me, what is a blade, gaki?" Kisame stood in front of Sae, looking over her katana in his hands. She shuffled on her feet, thinking.

"A piece of sharpened metal?"

"Wrong!" In one fluid movement, Kisame lunged, smacking her with the flat of the blade on her ribcage. Stunned, Sae fell to the ground and coughed, bewildered. "A blade, especially one like this, is a tool." Kisame held it up, the sun glinting, "It can be a club, a shield, hell, a walking stick if you so please." He flipped it and caught the tip, presenting it to her, "Be inventive. Don't think of it as a simple cut-and-slash weapon."

"Not even a poke-and-stab?" Sae's voice was dull, though her lips quirked humorlessly as she snatched the hilt away, rolling backwards and flipping to her feet with a nimble thrust of her arm. She could see Kisame's beady eyes taking stock of her, re-evaluating. She had been polite, almost to the point of awkwardness, since he had made her acquaintance. But frankly....

Her ribs throbbed, and she was a little pissed about it.

"Seems you aren't just full of dull manners." Kisame's teeth bared themselves as he laughed, likening Sae's angry stance to that of a frazzled kitten. She lifted the katana higher, lips firming in annoyance. Kisame's eyes brightened with a cunning light, one that had her skin crawling. "Shall we play?" Samehada was in his hands, his grin widening. Sae didn't bother answering and instead ran at him, tucking the katana up against her arm.

"Heh." Kisame widened his stance, raising Samehada. His eyes narrowed as Saezuri dashed past him, taking refuge in the only tree in the clearing. "Oi, you aren't going to learn anything by hiding." Kisame called, catching a flash of tan up in the branches. Silence greeted him as he made his way to the trunk; his eyes snapped wider when he beheld the thin, whirling piece of metal that whistled towards him. Samehada guarded his neck as the katana deflected, a clear note filling the air. Sae dropped from the tree, a kunai screeching down the length of Samehada. A smirk curled Kisame's lips, as he felt her weak chakra being drained. Instead of alarm as he had expected, Saezuri seemed to take no notice as she dove on the ground, snatching the katana from where it rest in the grass. She relied on adrenaline and momentum, he noticed, instead of chakra like many shinobi.

"It's not really fair, my little katana against _that_." Sae spoke, her arm relaxed at her side. Kisame laughed and dug the tip of Samehada into the ground, leaning against it.

"Maa, are you going to bring that up to a real opponent?" He snickered, even more amused when she bristled. "Besides, it's enough. I can see how best to teach you." He straightened and hooked his blade onto his back, glancing down at her. Stay strands of hair fell around her face, dark eyes indignant as she studied him. "We'll practice drawing techniques."

...

* * *

"Itachi-san~" Sae sang as she leaned over the couch, glancing at the relaxed Uchiha. She could see a single red orb move to observe her, his hand pausing in reaching for his tea. "What could you tell me about Tobi?" Her eyes brightened, catching the way his chest stilled.

"Why?" That single word left his lips, his softspoken tone making Sae have to strain her ears to hear. Itachi gently took a sip of tea, both sharingan focused on the woman to his left. Her light hair was loose, obviously just cleaned after training with Kisame for the whole afternoon.

"I'm interested." She came around and sat on the opposite end of the loveseat, cross-legged and facing him directly. It almost unnerved him, her easy familiarity. Yet, technically, he could find nothing offensive about her behavior.

"Tobi is an overly-energetic Akatsuki recruit." Itachi's tone was deadpan, as he set his cup back on the coffee table. Saezuri's eyes just glittered more, as she leaned forward more into his space.

"And what if we're talking about Madara?" She dropped her voice, a mere whisper between her lips. Her heart raced, knowing the risk she was taking; Itachi's eyes flashed dangerously to hers, narrowed and edging on murderous.

"Aa?" Kisame's bewildered voice interrupted their silent challenge; Sae's head whipped around to see him standing by the door, scratching his head. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Not at all." Itachi's eyes swept down, as he caught up his tea again with a delicate hand.

"Most certainly not," Sae stood from the couch, making to leave the room, "Kisame-sensei." She gave him one last glance, pleased at how her title made the shark-nin pause.

It was fitting, however.

Sae made down the stone hallway, the base nicely cooled compared to the heated air outside. It was a good change, even the deep feeling of being underground. She found her room, a small hollow with a single-wide bed and nightstand. Her katana was set there, along with her pack. Sae's cloak had mysteriously appeared the night before Madara had left her, and she knew that he had salvaged it for her. Sitting on the bed, she almost shrieked with alarm as she saw Itachi leaning against her closed door.

"What?" Her voice was breathy, surprised at his appearance. She hadn't even heard or had an inkling he was there...

"You know of Madara?" His tone was dark, sharingan glowing slightly in the darkened room. Sae stilled, dark eyes searching his dimly lit face.

"As do you." She didn't fear him, she decided. Certainly, he was extremely dangerous, but from what she had seen of him thus far, Uchiha Itachi was not a violent man. Rather delicate, actually.

"What use does he have of an unskilled woman?" She almost flinched, there. How harsh.

"Same as he has use of 'Tobi'. Inconspicuity." She forced her muscles to loosen, their tense masses quivering. Itachi shifted, long lashes obscuring his sharingan as he glanced off to the side.

"And the point of training you?" His quiet voice was docile, not as full of sharp edges as before. Sae tilted her head, wondering; she was sure he already knew, his intelligence far surpassing her own.

"He's sick of saving my neck every time an inkling of trouble appears." Even as she spoke, her eyes grew wide in realization. Itachi looked at her, a small curve to his lips. Sae stared blankly, her thoughts turning in circles; it wasn't that he hated saving her neck, it meant that more trouble was on the way, troubles that Madara couldn't protect her from. Her lips parted, meaning to ask Itachi, but when she cared to actually focus, she found herself alone.

"What's going to happen...?" She murmured to herself, worried. Madara was powerful. Almost ridiculously powerful.

What could it be, that she had to protect _herself_ from?

* * *

"This is impossible." Sae frowned, looking up at the target Kisame had hung on the tree, nearly eleven feet up the trunk.

"It is not. Just go for it." His voice was irritated, a small tick under his eye. Kisame had found that while Sae naturally wanted to incorporate her flexibility into her fighting style, she kept her limbs tucked close, defeating the purpose. With a feminine grunt she jumped off the ground, slashing with the katana at the tree. The blade fell short, cutting nearly a foot under the square of paper.

"Oi, quit being so stiff and just _go_ for it." Kisame nearly wanted to smack his forehead. He could _see_ her still not using her limbs to their fullest.

"I am!" Sae snipped back, a hand settled on her hip, the katana tip weaving in her shaky grip. She huffed, a strand of hair fluttering with the rush of air.

"You're tall for a woman, gaki, use your limbs. Quit being afraid of getting hurt, and really go for it." Sae gave him a glowering look, shaking out her arms as she faced the tree. Taking a running start, she leaped and hacked with the katana, pouring her frustration into it. Her eyes flew wide at the sound of ripping paper, and as she landed, she could see a large rent in the bark, one half of the paper fluttering to her feet.

"Aa, are you ready to listen now?" Kisame asked, shifting and shouldering Samehada.

"....Yes." Sae adverted her eyes, flustered. He just shook his head, as he adjusted her grip on the hilt.

"Don't clench your hand. Keep your fingers relatively loose, or you'll find them broken in a hurry." Saezuri frowned at that, her brows furrowing.

"Won't that just make it easier to knock out of my hand?"

"Not at all. You'll be able to improvise quickly; however, if you are facing an opponent with that much brute strength, use chakra to hang onto it, not by gripping harder." Kisame explained, showing her how to stand with his own Samehada. It looked strange, to see him standing so defensively, the long length of Samehada tilted down at the ground. Sae copied, surprised to note that she felt at ease with the position.

Kisame did indeed know how to teach her, she realized. The style he was showing her was fluid, and emphasized delicate swordwork; not the rough, aggressive slashes that he himself fought with. A small grin lifted her face as she copied and executed a particularity difficult move, one that would have disarmed an opponent and punctured his jugular.

...

* * *

Saezuri collapsed on her bed, exhausted. Between training with Kisame, developing her chakra, and working on tumbling by herself, she was absolutely worn down. The last time she could remember ever working so hard through the day was back in Iwa, when she was preparing to take the genin exam. Not even then had she progressed so quickly.

Five days....

Already, she could run through katas, elegant sweeps and jabs. She could sense her chakra, knew her short capacities better. And she was gaining back the quick, easy movements she had mastered when she was just a little girl; back tucks, fluid walkovers, and all the flexibility that came with those. Closing her eyes, Saezuri let every muscle finally relax, a soft sigh coming from her lips. She had nine more days of this. Possibly more, if she allowed time for Madara to be late. A small cord of adrenaline rippled through her chest, as she wondered how much further she would progress in that time. For once in her life, she felt as if she wasn't helpless.

Sae lifted her eyes to the ceiling, wondering what Madara was doing. He had simply told her 'business'. Yet, she had gone with him on his other business, in grass. An inkling that things were about to change gripped her, even as she fell off into sleep.

* * *

Thoughts?


	7. Chapter 7

Ah, finally!  
I'm going to miss Itachi and Kisame, they're a hoot. ;D

SerbiaTakesCntrl- Ah, thank you! I love how you're a regular reviewer, it's motivating, really. And I'm glad that I'm nailing these characters~  
And I agree, I'd die over a man with an accent. :3

Michi-tan- Yes! I lovelove updating, so no worries there.

aurla0- Thank you! 3

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- My, that's heartening!  
I never thought that anyone would like this story so much. (:

* * *

"What am I going to do once I leave in three days?" Sae asked as she wrenched her katana out of the tree trunk, the blade having buried itself quite deeply. She glanced over her shoulder at Kisame, who was leisurely sitting on the grass.

"Continue practicing, of course." He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.

"Yes, but I'm not stupid enough to think I've learned all that there is in a measly two weeks." Sae lifted a brow, easily sliding the sword back into the sheath tied across her back. It was horizontal, made for easy drawing and sheathing in a hurry.

"Should it matter? Develop your own style." Kisame's answer was frustratingly vague, as he easily limbered to his feet in a fluid motion. "It'll surprise your opponents all the more if you wield an invented style." Sae nodded and used her forearm to wipe her forehead, exhausted. Kisame oriented himself across from her, raising his hands and beckoning with one. Saezuri dipped her sword, dashing at him; with a quick twist, she slashed upwards, meaning to catch him from hip to shoulder. An open palm blocked her, his other hand coming around to cuff her across the chin. Fumbling back, she spun the katana around, pushing forward, meaning to overwhelm. Kisame simply sidestepped and tripped her feet up, sending her sprawling into the sharp grass. Heaving a sigh, Sae glanced up at Kisame's broad shoulders, thinking. She rather liked him, and was almost sorry to have to leave soon. Itachi, even. She was used to his quiet presence, often working on scrolls and almost always handy with a cup of tea.

Rolling to avoid Kisame's kick, Saezuri nimbly balanced onto her hands, springing off the ground into a quick tuck. Landing, she assured distance before recovering her katana into a ready position, frowning. Kisame waited for her attack, an arrogant touch to his expression. Jogging back on her right foot, she threw the blade with a quick snap of her wrist. While it whistled through the air, Sae rolled forward and sprang from her feet, throwing herself in a tackle at Kisame. With a small smirk at her resourcefulness, he easily snagged the tip of the blade from the air between his first two fingers, snatching the hilt and resting the cold metal against her collarbone with a graceful flick.

"Much better, gaki." He grinned, the perfect picture of composure next to Sae's sweaty body, her hair disheveled.

"Mmh." She grunted, flopping to the dirt. Her chest heaved to try and catch her breath, as she slicked her gritty hair back. "Say, Kisame-sensei," She rolled over, kicking her feet into the air and resting her chin on her palm, "What do you know of Tobi?"

"Tobi?" He was mildly confused, cocking his head down at her.

"Aa, Tobi. All I've seen is an irritating brat." Sae adverted her eyes, drawing short characters in the dust with a skinny finger.

"I find him rather amusing." Kisame grinned, sharp teeth catching the light, "Besides, the brat can run. Fast."

"Oh?" Saezuri lifted a brow, seeing the truth in that. Madara's long limbs seemed to be adept for running, not to mention the peculiar way he was always _there_ at the perfect moments. Swiping a hand, she eradicated the short sprawling sentences she had absentmindedly written. Sae was reluctant to pester Itachi with questions again, and she was disappointed to see that Kisame knew even less than the quiet Uchiha. "Maa, I'm hungry." She lifted to her feet, dusting off her clothing. Kisame grabbed his Samehada from the grass, the two of them walked the mile or so back to the base opening together, on the knotted path their feet had gradually made over the days.

...

"Saezuri." Itachi's drawl startled her as she was settling her katana against the wall in the makeshift kitchen, the Uchiha leaning against the counter with his arms crossed.

"Yes?" Sae glanced over her shoulder at him, stray strands of blonde hair catching the dim lighting, as she reached to grab bowls out of the overhead cupboard.

"How is your training progressing?" His posture was still, in perfect control. It unnerved Sae, how he never let loose, never let a humane feeling show.

"Excellent." She smiled, as she set out the bowls. "Would you like some rice, Itachi-san?"

"Aa." He moved, and to her surprise, starting helping her prepare. Saezuri found that she quite enjoyed his company; his quiet, unassuming nature was a refreshing breath of air. Glancing over, Sae noticed that she was minutely taller than the younger man. His lashes were swept down as he poured rice into the cooker, Sae cutting enough vegetables and meat to flavor it with.

"Have you contacted Leader, Itachi-san?" Kisame stood in the archway, cloak discarded. He leaned against the stone, watching them.

"Tobi will be here on time." Itachi's eyes slitted over to Sae, coolly observing the way she stilled. He frowned at the way her eyes started to glint with anticipation, returning his attentions to the rice.

"So that's why you were asking about him, gaki." Kisame's voice was amused, as he moved to grab a bowl of the finished rice. Sae paused, aware of how Itachi's lips curled in a knowing way.

"Of course. So far, the idiot just drives me up the wall." She stared at Itachi while she spoke, willing to clash with the soft-spoken Uchiha. His brows arched as he too started to eat his rice, silently brushing off her forwardness. Sae dropped the topic and moved to fill her stomach, planning her afternoon while she ate. Time was flying by, and she was quite happy, itching to be on the move again.

* * *

"Yo!" Madara raised a hand as he appeared, orange mask covering his features. Sae jumped from the table in surprise, while Itachi didn't even deign to give him a glance. "Ah~ Sae-chan." He put his hands on his hips, sweeping his head to look at first Itachi, then to where Kisame was sitting on the couch. "A-a, you mean you stayed here, alone? With two men?" His hands gestured wildly, while Sae started to frown, "Improper~! My, what they could have done to y-" Contemptuous, Sae settled her palm on the hilt of her katana, drawing it with a slick _snict_ and sending it flying. The long weapon revolved once, the point just reaching Madara's mask, meaning to shatter it.

"Maa.......oops." He shrugged, the metal passing harmlessly through to clatter against the back wall. Sae did a double take, eyes flying wide. "So, something _did_ happen then! Ya-t-t-t-t-t, what are you doing Sae-chan?" Madara held his hands up for peace, as she walked towards him, irritated. How she _hated_ 'Tobi'.

"You need a muzzle." She could have spit, she was so incensed. Passing Madara and bending to grab her katana, she squeaked in surprise when a firm boot to her side sent her rolling to the ground, balance lost. She snapped her eyes to look at him, to see his arms crossed behind his back, head tilted up and away inattentively. Her eyebrow twitched, the spasm increasing with Kisame's laughter.

"Still so clumsy, Sae-chan?" Madara looked down at her, the blank mask causing hairs on the back of her neck to rise.

"Still so stupid, Tobi?" She mocked, flipping to her feet with an arch of her back, sheathing her katana. She stared at Madara, able to see the cunning arch of his eye through the mask hole.

"Goodbye Kisame-sensei, Itachi-san." She glanced past his shoulder, hearing Kisame give a noncommittal grunt, and Itachi raise a lofty hand. Slinging her pack onto her shoulders, she followed Madara out of the base, able to observe how he was more at ease than when they had parted. His gait was smooth, relaxed.

"I can see you've learned." Her ears relished at the smooth depth of his voice, no longer the nerve-grinding ramble of Tobi's. Once a sustainable distance from the base, he removed the mask, his long hair spilling forth. Saezuri found it to be a fresh change; even though he and Itachi's features were similar, Madara had a more rugged appearance, the shadows under his eyes not as deep as his younger relative's.

"Indeed." Her voice was cheerful, enjoying the lessened strain of keeping up with him. Madara ruffled her hair with a sinuous hand, increasing his stride a fraction.

"There's a small competition I want you to take part in, in the Earth Country. We should get there with plenty of time to spare if we keep this pace." Sae bounded to keep up with him, the katana a pleasant weight against the small of her back.

"Competition?"

"Aa. Martial Arts based, if I remember correctly." Madara glanced at her, a curve uplifting his lips.

How he looked forward to seeing her skills.

* * *

Thoughts? Reviews make me giddy and happy!


	8. Chapter 8

Short! Bahhhhh.

margaux08- Tobi is an irritating little shit, it only makes sense for her to. (:  
And yes, I'll miss them. I loved writing them, for the little time they were involved~

SerbiaTakesCntrl- Glad you liked it!  
Oh, really? :O I'd be interested to seeee~  
I'm so happy that I'm keeping things as realistic as possible, I worry over it.  
It doesn't help when Madara just runs off with the damn story, either. xD

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- Tobi IS creepy.  
I'm sure any sane person would be a little cautious when a formally mature acquaintance turns into a rude, childish little imp, haha.

Michi-tan- Thank you~! :D

* * *

"We'll stop here for the day." Madara paused in front of a remote building, built in a very traditional way.

"It's only mid-afternoon, though." Sae frowned, halting her sprint next to him. Glancing up, she blinked in realization. An onsen.

"We've plenty of time, my dear." Madara swept forward, easily slipping out of his sandals on the front porch. Saezuri had a harder time taking off her boots, however, the knee high canvas being extremely well fit to her feet. He waited patiently while she hopped about, leaning against the open shoji frame.

"Welcome to Yonagi." A woman with dark hair bowed as they ventured into the foyer, a simple worker's yukata covering her body. "Women to the left, men to the right, please." Her sonorous voice was light as she clasped her hands delicately. Sae gave one glance at Madara before going off to the left, stripping off her tan garments once concealed behind the simple folding screens. Pulling on a soft yukata, she went and cautiously dipped a foot in the onsen, able to see another head through the mist. Slipping out of the yukata, Sae slinked into the water, eyelashes fluttering at the radiating heat that instantly relaxed her body. Sitting against the wall, she let her head loll back as she slouched, staring at the weaved bamboo ceiling.

"Seems we are both stressed women." Sae opened her eyes to see that the other occupant had glided over, a middling aged woman with brown hair that fell in voluminous curves.

"Mmh." Sae agreed, smiling slightly.

"Reika." She bowed her head shortly, a light grin on her feminine features.

"Saezuri." Sae shifted, feeling dwarfed in her slight, long body compared to Reika's curves. The woman was gorgeous, making Sae feel like a gangly teen again.

"What brings you to these parts?" Reika was friendly, tipping her head as she settled comfortably on her knees in the water.

"We're traveling to the Earth Country."

"We?" Her voice was suggestive, a sly glint gleaming from her features.

"Aa. An acquaintance and I." Saezuri fidgeted, knowing that she wouldn't just drop it. No self-respecting feminist would.

"Is that all? Just an acquaintance?" A slim eyebrow raised, as Reika fixed Sae with a cunning gaze.

"It's not like that." Sae shook her head, the tips of her hair soaking up water. "We help each other out. Nothing more."

"If you say so." Reika's voice was breezy, as she glanced away loftily. Saezuri frowned, and instead of refuting the woman's obvious disbelief, she just sunk lower into the water, letting the steam caress her face. "My, I worry about my son." Reika sighed heavily, looking back. Straightening, Sae tilted her head, curious.

"Son?"

"Yes, the silly thing is out, running about and training. He insists on competition in the trial some two towns over." She frowned, while Sae's eyes slimmed.

"How old is he?"

"Just a bare thirteen. He doesn't seem to understand he'll be going against grown men." Reika's voice was dismayed, although resigned.

_And grown women, too._ Sae closed her eyes, pensive. She would be beating up children. Wonderful.

"Well, I must be getting back. It was nice meeting you." Reika said after a pregnant pause, leaving the onsen. Deciding that she had soaked enough, Sae also got up, pulling the yukata back on. Her muscles felt delightfully loose, and she realized that Madara must have deliberately stopped here, just to prepare her.

"That...?" Reika's mouth formed a small O as they both exited together, Madara already out and waiting for Saezuri. Sae glanced at her, offering a sheepish smile.

"Yes." She quickly left Reika and went to him, glancing up at his dark eyes, "I feel much better, thank you."

"We have a room." Madara ignored her all together, holding up a dangling key. He glared at the space above her head, and glancing back, Sae saw Reika turn with a flick of her hair, and leave the room.

"That-"

"Stay away from that woman." He cut her off, leaning down enough to be eye-to-eye with Sae. She gulped, the deadly tone making her senses fire off.

"I'll be competing against her son, anyhow. She isn't going to like me for long." Saezuri adverted her eyes, giving a small, humorless chuckle. She couldn't handle it, even now, when he gave her that intense stare.

"...Come." Madara swept her hand up, making Sae jog after him to keep pace. Their room turned out to be bedded with a double futon, the walls traditional paper. A small bonsai tree sat in the corner, something Saezuri regarded with interest.

"How was business?" She turned to ask Madara, pausing slightly at his lean form. The yukata definitely suited him, the light color making his features stand out all the more.

"Favorable." His lips quirked, as he beckoned her closer with a flick of his hand. Bewildered, Sae came forward, lips parting when Madara tilted her chin up with a long-boned finger. He shifted her head from side to side, observing. Her hair had grown longer than when he had left her, he noticed. Sae moved to say something, but a flaring of Madara's sharingan rendered her unconscious; he easily caught her limp body, svelte chest pressing against his. He paused for a moment, the human contact giving him something to consider. Studying Saezuri's blanked face, he swept down and briefly pressed his lips to hers. The press was soft, her unresponsiveness endearing in a way.

How long had it been, that he had started denying himself the pleasures of flesh?

Settling her into the futon, Madara rose, his eyes a narrowed, streaming red. That woman, Reiko, he had the worst suspicions about her. Moving out the door, he briefly checked to make sure it would lock behind him; out of the corner of his eye he glanced back to Saezuri, before gliding off down the hall, meaning business.

* * *

Thoughts? -kisses-


	9. Chapter 9

Apple-blossom-tea- Indeed. Yay, Madara fluff! ;D

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- Why thank you, dear! I'm sure this one will get you dancing, too~

SerbiaTakesCntrl- Love you too. (:  
And I used to watch Justice League, all the time!

FroggiePrincess- Oh my. I hope I didn't distract you from anything important! ;D  
Yes, Madara is rather over-bearing, isn't he? But that's why we love him!

skytten- Madara, a rapist?  
Why, when he could probably eye-shazzam any woman into doing all the work. XD  
But indeed, he most certainly is a mind-over-matter kind of person. I could see him killing anybody in cold blood, Sae included, if it was to his benefit.  
And that always irks me, when people use non-Japanese names.  
Doesn't do it for me, at all. -.-

Enjoy!

* * *

Madara returned in the morning, considerable calmer than the state he had been in the night before; walking in on Sae just pulling her shirt over the bandages that covered her chest, he leaned against the doorframe. She flipped the ends of her hair out of the collar of her shirt, the strands nearly three inches longer than when she had last took note. Buckling the stark white belt around her waist, she felt the weight of her katana fall pleasantly into the small of her back.

"Saezuri." Her head jerked to look over her shoulder at Madara, who was reaching up his sleeve. Blinking at the change in address, she curiously watched him pull out a handsome scroll. "This contains an S-class jutsu. I want you to work on learning it." He held it out, dark eyes intense onto her expression.

"Are you sure...?" She hesitantly grabbed the thin scroll, noticing the official stamp of Iwa holding it shut.

"Aa. Its about time you start building your repertoire of jutsu." He whirled his plain black cloak around his shoulders, buckling the clasp with a soft click.

"S-class, though?" She broke the seal, flinching in alarm when the scroll stole a good globule of blood via slitting her finger. Sucking on the stinging appendage, she raised her eyes to Madara's in question.

"Payment for access." He explained simply, almost amused. Saezuri looked back to the scroll, grasping that it was a refined type of concealment jutsu.

"Am I going to be able to use my sword in the competition?" She changed the subject, letting the scroll roll in on itself, tucking it safely into her kunai pouch.

"A katana is a martial artist's weapon." His eyes shone, cunning lurking behind their dark orbs. He moved down the hall, letting Sae do a quick last sweep of the room to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything.

"That's a relief." She quickly caught up to him, pulling her own cloak around her shoulders. The air was turning chill, the Earth Country approaching the winter months. Passing through the reception area, Saezuri was curious to note the way that the attendant flinched, adverting her eyes from Madara. "Come to think of it, when did I fall asleep last night?" Her eyebrows pulled, unable to recall. Normally, she could remember, as she always oriented herself best for making it through the night.

"In the early evening. Don't you remember?" Madara's lips quirked, as he glanced over at her bemusedly. The path was dusty beneath their feet, small puffs of dirt flying at every step; more so for Madara than Sae.

"Not at all." She frowned, thinking. She could remember talking to Reika, and could remember the trek up to the room. But everything after....was just blank.

"You were quite exhausted. It doesn't surprise me you fell asleep so quickly." Madara looked forward, wind ruffling his hair playfully.

"...I don't want to face Reika's son." Saezuri scuffed her shoes, unaware of how his eye twitched slightly.

"You may avoid it completely. The system is single elimination." He kept his voice smooth, keeping the triumphant tone under control; Reika was a problem no more to him.

.....

Sae sighed when they entered the city, it being only marginally smaller than Grass's capital. The clamor of people was not her favorite thing to hear, especially when one child ran across their path play-fighting with another.

"Oof!" The five year old tripped, landing flat at her feet. His playmate kept running, laughing even though the boy started to cry.

"Oh, you're fine." Saezuri crouched, a delicate hand easily catching the boy's wrist and hauling him to his feet. Sniffing, his bottom lip trembled as he stared into Sae's face curiously. "Run along, go." She prodded his shoulder, aware of Madara chuckling at her blunt manner. The child toddled away, glancing back once as she rose to her feet.

"Children really aren't your strong point." A small grin stretched Madara's lips, remembering the son she had frightened when they were on the run from Hidden Grass officials. Saezuri wasn't adept at coddling, he had noted on multiple occasions. She took what she was given, making do without asking for more.

"I rarely see the little creatures." Her tone was candid, eyes raising to Madara's dark orbs. He chuckled, leading the way back through the throng of people; Sae caught his elbow after nearly being separated, frowning at the giggle of a small schoolgirl that noticed.

"That's the arena." Madara nodded towards a large stone building, catching hold of Saezuri's hand instead of her hanging on his elbow. The fight was duly advertised on the side of the building, something Sae gulped at. She _hoped_, desperately, that she wouldn't be terribly outclassed. Madara kept walking, eventually stopping in front of a small inn.

"This jutsu, will I even be able to use it with the little chakra I have?" Sae pulled out the scroll once they were settled inside their rather spacious room, warily looking at the seal.

"Aa. It takes a comparatively small amount." Madara settled at the desk, flicking back his sleeve and pressing his fingers to a seal drawn there. With a small puff of smoke, several thick scrolls appeared on the desk, which he immediately went to work on, not sparing Saezuri another glance. Settling onto the floor, she flinched when her nails dug under the Iwa stamp, expecting it to lash out against her in payment. The scroll slid open without a hitch however, her hands pleasantly pain free. Reading it over, she caught that it was called Toorima, which sent a small bead of sweat down her temple.

The hand seals were relatively simple, but the instructions for mixing chakra had her head spinning; very vaguely could she remember the theory classes from the academy, and if she was recalling correctly, something this complex was rarely achieved. Working until the room started to darken, Sae fought to remember the string of hand seals, often mucking them up when she tried to practice as fast as they would be needed in battle. During a particularly aggravating run through, she clamped her hands together and huffed, rolling the scroll closed with a snap.

"I'm done. Absolutely." She shoved it into her kunai pouch, unbuckling her belt and letting it fall to the floor with a thud. Madara spared her a glance, before looking out the window at the darkening streets. Stepping over to the bed, Sae stretched enough to feel her vertebrae pop all the up her back, climbing under the thin blanket. He joined her soon enough, after un-summoning the set of scrolls. A comfortable silence descended, and he noted that she wasn't dropping off into sleep as quickly as normal. Madara glanced down curiously when he felt the covers shifting, seeing Saezuri wriggling in close. She huddled against his side, face coloring a very slight pink at his scrutiny.

"It's cold." Her voice was dull, the tickles of her moving chin on his chest amusing Madara. Silently agreeing, he uncoiled his hands from beneath his head, settling a powerful arm around her small shoulders; the thin walls of the inn hardly lessened against the frigid night air. The heightened warmth had her eyelids drooping, and Sae was unaware of the content curl to Madara's lips.

Indeed, he didn't mind this. Not at all.

* * *

Sae died a little inside, as she took her place in the ramble of contestants. The majority were men, a choice few even boasting muscles large enough that she looked a delicate twig next to them.

"Such a slim little thing! Be careful, eh?" One of them leaned towards her, a cunning gleam in his eye. She could _feel_ the arrogance he was oozing, her blood throbbing furiously in her veins at that fact.

"Same to yourself, sweetie." Chirping, Sae smiled her best at him, all while she mentally cursed him to hell.

If she was humiliated, she would beat Madara to a bloody pulp, capability be damned.

Hearing her name called, she stepped out into the simple stone platform. Her opponent, Sae could see, was a man of about thirty, shorter by a good five inches and very stocky.

"Start!" The announcer chopped at air, and the crowd cheered a little. The man ran at her, and when he threw his first punch, Saezuri was astonished to see that she could keep up. She could begin to have an inkling where his muscles were coiling, as she slipped her katana out to block a kick. Slashing for his neck, Sae was disappointed to see him fall back, glancing to the mediator.

"Is this fair?!"

"The katana is a martial artist's tool. It's completely legal." The announcer called as Sae fell on her opponent once more, brandishing her blade dangerously. Rolling back, the man caught her chest with a strong foot, effectively knocking the air from her lungs. Skipping back and trying not to gag at the sensation, Saezuri felt her throat close up as she caught Madara's eyes. His arms were crossed as he leaned against a pillar, mouth a grim line. Standing straight, Sae lifted her chin and slipped her hand down her hilt.

"HA!" The man ran forward, jamming his elbow straight for her already bruised chest. Placing a slim hand on his shoulder, she evaded and leaped off the ground, using the hand as a pivot point, as the katana whistled through the air. Deadening her thrust at the last second, she let the cold metal touch the man's neck, in what would have been a killing blow. He rolled away before the match could be called, sweeping a leg out meaning to trip her feet out from under her. Jumping into a back tuck, Sae landed and reversed her grip on her katana, slamming it into the man's forehead as he charged once more. Flinching when she felt his skin break under the harsh bone hilt, she forced her revulsion down and further spun the blade around, using the blunt side of the blade to hack at his ankles and send him to the ground. Settling the tip on his jugular, she glanced up to see Madara had moved, gone from his spot.

"End!" The announcer called, and Sae almost fell over when the man knocked her katana away, glaring. Whirling away, she sheathed her sword, aware of the stares she received as she took her place back among the contestants.

......

It was in the third round that Sae found herself facing a kid, and immediately she knew that this was Reika's son. Cursing her luck, she pulled her katana out, seeing that he wielded one of similar make, the blade being generally heavier and thicker, and not quite as long. The boy shared Reika's short and curvy build, being husky and overconfident.

"Start!" The announcer skipped out of the arena, and the boy wasted no time in charging. His hits were heavy Sae found, but easy to avoid. He had a hard time following her movements, and a frown marred her features when she used her hilt to buckle his knee.

"Quit dancing and _fight_ me!" He howled at her, stunning the crowd into silence.

"I am?" She cocked her head, assuring distance as he struggled back to his feet, knee bruised and already starting to color.

"You are _not_! Trickery is not an honorable way out!" He bared his teeth, raising his katana in a very traditional two-handed grip. Irritated, Sae flicked her katana down, grabbing it in a reverse grip. Her fuse lit when he spit arrogantly; lighting into a full aerial, Saezuri lashed out, letting her katana whirl out of her grip while she descended from above. The blade caught the boy's calf, splaying red across the stone tiles as she landed on his left shoulder with a heavy boot, easily plowing him to the ground. She snatched her katana from where it lay with a delicate cartwheel, holding the bloodstained blade at ready.

"She cheats!" He howled as he clutched at his leg, alarming Sae as she caught the small trickle of tears coming from his eyes. The announcer waited some four beats before stepping in, calling an end. Sae sheathed her dirty sword, bewildered when the boy lumbered to his feet; he shook and had to lean on his sword, but pointed a finger at her nonetheless.

"Four years of dojo training, and I get to face _you_, a disgrace! What merit is in a false win?" He sneered, voice wobbling with his tears. Sae's eyes narrowed, her lips firming into a tight line.

"I take it you got expensive lessons? Expecting to be made into an 'all-powerful warrior'? You'd be dead anywhere else, boy." She turned and took her seat, allowing medics to take the boy away. Her blood boiled; such arrogance, self-righteous believed _deservance_ irritated her to no end.

Her next fight was with a man nearly a foot taller, shoulders broad and muscles bulging. He was fast, she found, easily catching her blade on his naked hand and throwing her away, like a ragdoll. She couldn't catch him unawares, and he often was able to deflect her katana with a flat palm. His blows were heavy and almost always directed towards her face; it only took two before Sae was crippling on the ground, covering her head with shaky hands, katana abandoned on the ground.

"Hmph." He lifted her by the scruff of her shirt, a huge fist heading straight for her head, which she desperately tried to just cover with her skinny arms, cowing away.

_**Thud.**_

Her eyes opened hesitantly when she heard contact but felt no pain, her dark orbs flying wide when she beheld the back of Madara's head.

"The fight is clear." His tone was dark, as he squeezed the hand captured around her opponent's fist. Madara's other arm arm came around, knocking the man's hold off Sae's shirt, sending her dropping to the ground, legs too weak to support her. With a swift kick he was sent flying away, Madara offering a smooth hand to her. Saezuri's face throbbed unbearably as she laid her hand in his, squeaking in surprise when he hauled on her arm hard enough to bring her completely off the ground, Madara slinging her over his shoulder effortlessly. She clutched at his shirt when he stooped to snatch her blade, a chakra enhanced leap sending them to the top of the arena's walls.

"Dazai Saezuri is fully disqualified." His voice was loud and commanding as he addressed the stunned stadium, disappearing from view as he leapt to the street below. Sae refrained from groaning, the shocks increasing her pain. Her eyes clenched as she felt Madara leaping, the solid jar increasing the throb her head was developing quickly. It was all over quickly enough, however, when she soon was set on the bed in their inn room. She twitched when Madara sheathed her clean blade, the jar on her spine making her wince. A deep rumble came from Madara's chest as he tilted her chin up, his eyes narrowing once he got a good look. The skin on Sae's cheekbone was split and discolored, and her lip was puffy and bleeding from where her teeth had cut into it from being hit with such force.

"Is it bad?" Her voice was breezy as he patched her cheek, flinching when he placed pressure to get the bandage to stick.

"Aa." He replied simply, running his thumb over the velvety skin of her lip. She blinked, eyes downcast. "I see Kisame trained you well." He swiped back a tendril of hair that stuck in the blood on her mouth, contemplative.

"I lost, though." Her voice was bewildered, eyes widening when Madara pulled his hand back to grab something out of his pouch, fingers coated in blood.

"To a worthy opponent." He pressed at her lip with a cloth, cleaning the blood.

"He was cruel." She jerked out of his grasp, crossing her arms. Madara smoothed back, ridding himself of the blood-stained cloth.

"Perhaps." He got in her face again, surveying the work he had done. A small trickle of blood oozed from her lip, and Saezuri's eyes flew wide when Madara licked it away, the sensation causing nerves to break out in fire across her face. He chuckled when he pulled back, Sae's dumbfounded expression amusing him to no end.

* * *

Thoughts? I'll give you hugs and kisses! (:


	10. Chapter 10

Seeing as I'm neglecting a birth defect report for this, it obviously isn't very long.  
My apologies.

But, well, it answers some of your questions about Reika! I have a plan, don't worry. :)

* * *

"I wonder who won...?" Sae craned to see over the sea of heads, the crowd going wild at the very last match. She could catch glimpses of two men, but nothing identifiable.

"My, you come back even after that humiliation?" A sleek, feminine voice caught her attention, Sae's head snapping to see Reika with her hand on her hip, her son at her side with a foul expression.

"Reika." Madara's voice was dark, as he shifted dangerously on his feet. Immediately she looked away, mouth a grim line.

"What...?" Saezuri's voice petered off as she finally pieced it together in her mind. Whirling on Madara, her fists balled and she had to repress the urge to swing at him. "_You_. You've done something."

"Intelligent." His eyes shimmered, amusement coloring his features. Sae opened her mouth to question further, flinching heavily when the skin stretched over her busted cheekbone split back open. Adverting her eyes, she clamped a hand over the pulsing wound, gritting her teeth at Reika's feathery laugh.

"Anyhow, my husband would like to formally invite you for dinner." She addressed Madara, her tone mild. A cruel smirk stretched Madara's lips, as he accepted an ornate card from her.

"We'd be delighted." He was mocking, and Sae frowned when Reika, willful as she was, stayed silent at the subtle jab.

"Jaa." Her son mumbled sullenly as he left with his mother, leveling one last sour look at Saezuri.

"Was it necessary to knock me out?" Her voice was flat as she turned to Madara, upset at the dull look he gave her.

"Reika is a manipulative, cunning daimyo's wife. She would have you bound by your word before you had time to think." He stared down at her, aware of the betrayed spark behind her eyes. The crowd roared, and he caught the small twitch beneath Sae's eye. "Come though, I'm sure your head must hurt." He ushered her out with a lofty hand, quickly glancing over the invitation as he followed Sae. "We'll have stunning accommodations tonight." His mouth curled, the card disappearing up his sleeve.

"Reika, why does she follow you so?" Saezuri asked, her previous anger forgotten. She glanced at Madara, his neutral expression only raising further questions in her mind.

"She owes it to me, for the good fortune she's stumbled into." His eyes glimmered intensely, as he looked down at her, "And she knows I could rip it all away, at a moment's notice." Sae's brow crept up, things connecting.

"And...why is it that you can be so cruel, so unempathetic to these people, yet you swept me away from a miserable future?" If Madara was surprised at her blunt question, it didn't show. He glanced away, and Saezuri was even more bewildered to catch the smallest quirk of his lips.

"Simply, my dear, you are useful to me." His dark eyes met hers, and a hearty laugh escaped his lungs at her parted lips, that same dumbfounded expression that never failed to amuse him. Madara had found himself subtly seeking for it, oftentimes.

"Well." Sae glanced away, flustered. She felt the slight pressure behind her cheeks and knew she was blushing, the rushing blood making her wounds throb.

"Uchiha-sama?" A handman caught Madara's attention, bowing his head. Sae paused next to him in the street, curious. "There's a rickshaw waiting." Madara cocked his head, while Sae's eyes flew wide at the ornate cart.

"Daimyo." Madara murmured to her when he caught her surprise, helping her up into the cart, then sitting himself. The servant immediately started jogging through the streets, many people turning to stare curiously. Saezuri sank against his side, the cart jostling her svelte form combined with her weary muscles making it impossible to hold any decent posture. "You might as well sleep; it's going to be a far ride to the estate." Madara shifted and slung an arm around her shoulders, Sae's head falling comfortably on the hollow of his chest; she blinked when she felt that he had a slight sunken divot. There was less racket as the roads turned to dust, vegetation replacing buildings. Saezuri allowed herself to close her eyes, figuring sleep would at least distract her from the dull ache in her face, and hopefully restore some of the energy to her body.

* * *

Thoughts?


	11. Chapter 11

Forty-two pages, in OpenOffice. FORTY-TWO, guys! :D  
Amazing. I've never developed a story so much, ever.

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- Yeah, Sae's fighting style is pretty flashy, now that I think about it.  
If Madara sparkled, I'd kill him, and then myself.  
People shouldn't sparkle. EVER.

FroggiePrincess- I'm glad you like her. She compliments Madara pretty well, ne?  
Level-headed compared to his insanity, haha.

Apple-blossom-tea- No, I'll have to go take a look-see. I've never read it before. I just like octopi. XD  
And yaoi is the best~

Michi-tan- Wow, thanks! I do enjoy me some violence.

Hidden in Sunlight- Don't we all? Somebody needs to manufacture personal pocket-Madara's.  
I do believe they'd be a hit success.

SerbiaTakesCntrl- Oh my, I have plaaaaans for this plot.  
Wonderful, wonderful plans.

SAYAMO- No, Reika's definitely not that old. She's just someone you have to be careful with, that she doesn't twist you around her little pinky. ;D  
And I'm glad you like it!

aurla0- This chapter shoulder hopefully clear _everything_ up about Reika~

* * *

"Uchiha-sama." The daimyo greeted as he swept into an elegant bow, showing the thinning hair at his scalp. He was an obvious man of forty, with a smooth face and dulling brown hair. Reika stood silently by his side, eyes cool as she surveyed the guests in her house.

"Bunpei." The daimyo straightened at Madara's voice, his eyes focusing on Sae standing slightly off.

"It's a pleasure to have you." He glided forward, raising both his arms in a welcoming gesture. "And who is this? I've yet to see this woman." His gaze swept from her bruised face, to the sword at her waist. "A warrior no less." His tone turned dull, obvious distaste coloring his expression.

"Saezuri is of no consequence to you."

"Ohoo, I had not known you as one to keep pets, Uchiha-sama!" The daimyo turned jovial, surveying Sae with more curiosity. Her brows pulled, irritated. Madara seemed to share her opinion as he stepped forward, towering over the petite man.

"She is no pet, nor any servant to me." His voice had an edge to it, sonorous in the large room.

"I'll have her outfitted for dinner, Bunpei-sama." Reika's voice was light as she bowed to her husband. Saezuri passed the daimyo, standing a full head above as she followed Reika inside a small antechamber, kimono lining the walls. There were even more folded inside traditional boxes, Sae noticed as she forced her wonder down. The contents of the room could easily buy out a small country, she knew. Reika raised her hand and smoothly snapped her fingers, two serving girls meekly entering.

"Pick any you'd like. Heavens knows you need it." She picked at the collar of Sae's shirt, a soft, malicious grin stretching her features. Saezuri blinked, not effected at all by the jab at her appearance, instead turning and gazing over the walls.

"There." Sae nodded at an elegant cream colored kimono that had sakura blossoms printed up the side. Immediately the two servant girls gently unpinned it from the wall, while Saezuri stripped her tan shirt, leaving the wrap of bandages that covered her small breasts. Unbuckling the white belt from her waist, she dropped the katana onto the floor before shimmying out of her skirt, Reika watching with a muted sort of fascination. The scar on Sae's belly shone white from the encounter with the grass nin, and her wiry muscles stood clearly on her skinny frame, the figurative opposite of Reika. The kimono was fitted over her shoulders, the fabric having to be pressed and refolded to fit her tall stature. Sae winced when the obi was pulled tight around her frame, the jerks heaving all the spare breath from her lungs. The servants tied the bow large, almost ridiculously so; her hair was tugged and pinned back, ornamental combs and even live flowers placed. The two servants moved to do her makeup, pausing when Sae backed away, breath short in her lungs.

"Onna-sama?" One of them questioned delicately, eyes flying wide when Sae stooped to pick up her katana.

"Enough. That's enough, really. Thank you." She breezed, smiling as best she could at them.

"Are you sure? Traditionally-" The other maid opened her mouth, flinching when Reika cleared her throat.

"Leave it be. A commoner can't be expected to know." She tilted her chin imperiously, green eyes clashing with Sae's dark, muted ones. A smirk twisted her mouth, meant to provoke; Saezuri only blinked twice, arching a brow.

"And a noblewoman wouldn't know the simplicity of being true to themselves." Her voice was quiet as she tilted her head slyly, aware of the tick in Reika's face. She said nothing however, only ushering Sae further inside. The dining room was furnished with a low, ornate table, laden with foods of all kinds. Priceless artworks covered the walls, most ink paintings on rice paper; Madara and the daimyo were sat at the opposite heads of the table. Sae was left to be seated at Madara's right, directly facing Reika, with her son, Ichijiro, next to her. The boy glared at Sae, his face curiously red.

"The commoners are doing surprisingly well. There's been a raise in grain in the past few years." The daimyo was eager, speaking to Madara, who was disinterestedly swirling sake in a cup. He was dressed in a dark kimono, a phoenix visible flaring across his back. The Uchiha's dark eyes slitted over to Sae, lips quirking when he noticed her bare face, void of makeup. She tilted her head curiously at his gaze, aware of Reika's intent scrutiny upon them.

"Aa." Madara finally answered the daimyo, setting down his cup with a small clack. His hands laced together, powerful fingers loosely entwined, as he leveled his gaze at the smaller man. "What of the revolutionaries?" Servants starting dishing out the courses, obstinately keeping their heads down as they moved about, especially nervous in Madara's relaxed presence.

"Their movements have stalled. For the time being I have police forces assembled to track them if they become active once more." The daimyo's eyes swept down, as he started his meal. Sae followed suit, but found that she could barely eat, the needed pauses in airflow to swallow almost being impossible to maintain without gasping. She eventually just set her chopsticks down, giving up nourishing herself at all. Reika's son was the only one seeming to notice, as he openly stared at her. Just as Sae was setting down her cup from taking a delicate sip, he set both heavy hands on the table, leaning forward.

"Dazai Saezuri, I challenge you to a formal duel!" He was intense, Sae choking on the tea she was swallowing, causing her to gasp for air quiet loudly. Madara frowned and set his own chopsticks down, studying her heaving torso as she fought for air.

"Now?!" Sae croaked, a hand pressing against her collarbones trying to help her lungs recover what little they could. The boy stood, sword already belted at his waist, which he drew with a heavy movement.

"Not in my kimono!" Reika's voice was sharp and harsh as she interrupted, eyes closed in an effort to control her temper.

"We can spare a measly kimono, mother! I want my honor back!" He swung his katana around, pointing the tip inches from Saezuri's face. When he coiled as if to spring, Sae rolled backward, snatching her blade that she had set by her feet for lack of a better place. Crippled in the heavy robes, she tossed the scabbard away, blocking his harsh attack as he leapt over the table with nimble feet. The daimyo jumped up in protest as Saezuri elbowed the boy in the face, knocking him away. Her eyes darted to look at Madara, who merely had his arms crossed, watching with a blank face. Tripping over the kimono, she fell to the ground harshly as she tried to skip out of the way of Ichijiro's next attack, grunting in surprise.

"Not so easy now that you can't do any fancy acrobatics, huh?" He was contemptuous, sneering down at her. Saezuri paused, before throwing caution to the wind, hacking at the kimono with her katana. Reika yelled in protest as the delicate silk was shredded, a long slit running up the side. Sae rolled back on her curved spine, snapping up to her feet in a fluid movement. She huffed like she was being choked even as she raised her blade, parrying another attack and sliding the point under his cross-guard with a nimble flick, cutting a long gash from his wrist to upper forearm. He jerked away, swinging with a wild hack towards her neck. Gritting her teeth, she dropped on her back painfully, being unable to spring away as she normally would, kicking out her feet and entangling them in Ichijiro's. The boy grunted as she twisted, sweeping him off balance. Her katana came around dangerously, cutting up under his ribs. Saezuri flinched herself at the feeling of her blade inside his flesh, but ripped it away even as he cried out. Dropping to his knees, it allowed Sae time to hobble to her feet, lightheaded. She wavered, short of breath, flinching as the daimyo stomped his foot.

"Really, Ichijiro?! Right in my _house_?" He yelled, elegant composure going right out the window. "Uchiha-sama, I apologize." He turned to Madara, who snorted.

"It's not me you should be apologizing to." The daimyo recoiled at the thought of addressing Sae, her katana dripping blood as she caressed her forehead wearily, Ichijiro a moaning mess on the floor.

"She owes me a kimono." Reika bitterly stated, an ugly frown marring her features.

"It can be easily fixed and resown, Reika." The daimyo admonished her, starting in surprise when a dull thump reached his ears. Spinning, Bunpei beheld Saezuri passed out on the floor, breath shallow. Madara was already crouched by her side, where he snatched the end of the obi bow, disassembling it with one smooth motion. Discarding the long sash on the floor, he waited a few seconds before Sae gasped, filling her lungs with air once more. She sat up, holding the kimono closed with a tired hand.

"I'm so sorry, Saezuri-san." The daimyo hesitantly took a step forward, frowning when Madara stood, hauling her up with a nimble hand. Sae loosely placed the obi back around her waist, Madara easily tying the knot once more with experienced hands.

"It's alright." She smiled delicately at Bunpei as she stooped to pick up her katana, wiping Ichijiro's blood off with a table napkin. Finding her discarded scabbard, she slid the blade back in with a sharp clack, turning to see servants helping the boy to his feet. He kept his head down, blood flowing and staining his hakama.

"Ichijiro, I'm disappointed in you." The daimyo's voice was harsh as he addressed his son, who stayed silent.

"No, I'm glad he followed his ambition. That's a good thing." Saezuri glanced at the boy, aware of his twitch at her words. His eyes met hers, surprised. "Just pick your enemies better next time, ne?" Her voice ran flat, as she turned to Madara, who was peering inside his sake bottle curiously.

"I'll have more sent to your room, Uchiha-sama. I'm sure the both of you would like to retire now, yes?" The daimyo clasped his hands, stricken when Madara raised his eyes.

"Aa." He beckoned to Sae, pausing in the doorway. "And a first aid kit, obviously." He left out the shouji, Saezuri passing one last glance in the room before following.

"Why have I been beaten on so much today?" Sae readjusted the kimono, preventing it from falling open. Madara just chuckled as he pulled open another shoji, revealing a luxurious room, decorated with western style furniture. Saezuri immediately went for her clean clothes that were folded on the bed, disappearing into the bathroom. She dropped the kimono off her shoulders, letting the ruined fabric pile on the floor. Slipping on her tan outfit, she stilled when she heard voices. Identifying it as Reika, she finished dressing and cracked the door, peering out with a single onyx eye. It narrowed when she beheld Madara standing in the middle of the room, Reika pressed against him, arms entwined around his neck.

"Why don't you ever give in?" She stood more on her tiptoes, seductive mouth right by his ear. Sae's brows pulled when she saw Reika bite it playfully, before pulling back enough to look directly in his face; Madara hadn't moved, his arms still hanging by his side, doing nothing to encourage. "Am I not feminine enough? What is it?" She held his face, desperate. His eyes coolly observed her, her motives transparent to him. Saezuri smoothed back and straightened her clothes, before pushing the door open loud enough to announce her presence.

"Am I interrupting?" Her voice was dull, her expression neutral as she wandered over to pick up the first-aid kit Reika had felt necessary to hand deliver.

"Yes, you are, actually." Reika's voice was stony, her expression vile as she peered around Madara's arm. Sae just smiled to herself, pulling the bandage off her cheek. Reika blanched at the wound, while Sae held up a mirror and applied antiseptic, flinching when it burned.

"Reika." Madara pushed the woman away, his eyes glittering harshly. "Leave. This will never be." She huffed and placed a hand on her hip, curls bouncing as she pouted.

"Fine. That's why I settled for Bunpei, all those years ago when you abandoned me." She whirled from the room, her pride stinging. Saezuri paused as she pieced it together in her mind, deducing Madara had lifted Bunpei to power, and set him and Reika up for her cunning mind.

"Hmph." Madara moved and poured sake for himself, leaning against the dresser as he observed Saezuri. She pressed another bandage over her cheek, licking at the split in her lip. Packing the first aid away, she turned and blinked at Madara's gaze.

"Bunpei's just a puppet for you, right?" She was blunt, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Aa." Madara downed his cup, throat rumbling at the pleasant burn. His angular eyes noticed how Sae wavered, which he frowned at. "Get some sleep." He clicked the lights off, hearing her sigh and the covers rustle.

* * *

Thoughts? :D


	12. Chapter 12

FINALLY. I tried to have this out two days ago, but the site wasn't letting me upload.  
All's good now, thank god~ This weekend has been hectic, for sure. But in good news, I'm officially seventeen! Whooo!

Hidden in Sunlight- Yeah, Reika's a really overbearing character. She's used to getting what she wants, when she wants it, haha.

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx-The only japanese I can think of was Onna, which just means woman. And daimyo of course, but I'm assuming people know that that means lord.  
And yeah, Sae doesn't really have much appreciation for fancy things. Which appalls Reika. XD

SerbiaTakesCntrl- Heh, glad you like it dear! ^-^

skytten- I'm glad Sae is coming across well! I hate when characters don't develop, or, when they develop a ridiculous amount in an impossible time. It makes me want to pull out my hair.  
And yeah, I just meant that Madara could very well charm or genjutsu any woman he wanted, throwing that rape option out the window. Besides, to me, he wouldn't care enough about a woman to actual pursue her so intently.

FroggiePrincess- Indeed. Reika's the figurative opposite of Saezuri, so it's bound to happen that they'll clash~

Anywho, here's that 'next step' you've all been craving, you impatient chicklets. XD

* * *

Madara stirred early the next morning, new sunlight glowing through the rice paper walls. Glancing over, he beheld Sae curled toward him, hands tucked against her chest and mouth hanging slightly open; her slack expression instantly amused him, a small curl tugging at his lips. Rising, Madara ran a hand through his hair while opening the shoji connecting to the rest of the estate, barefooted as he walked the polished wood floors. Pausing in front of ornate double doors, they gave way under a light touch. The daimyo was seated at a large desk inside, a row of bookcases covering the wall behind. Madara's cool eyes observed the study, ignoring Bunpei's surprise, the man rising to his feet.

"Uchiha-sama? Did you need something?" He questioned, dismayed when Madara strode into the room on deathly quiet feet, not sparing a glance as he stopped in front of one of the bookcases, running a bony finger down the spine of a large book. Bunpei shivered lightly at the swish of Madara's clothing that brushed his arm, hurriedly turning to face him, dwarfed in height.

"I trust this estate will be open to me?" Slyly, obsidian eyes slitted over to observe Bunpei, finger still caressing the book spine. The daimyo grimaced; even though it had been phrased as a question, he had the feeling that he'd be sorry if he denied the man.

"Of course, Uchiha-sama. For however long you desire." Madara fixed his stare on the petite man, aware of how the small man's lip hitched slightly in reluctance. Bunpei begrudgingly saw him out, bowing when Madara passed out into the hall. Smoothing his thick kimono, he sat back at his desk, too aggravated to focus on his paperwork once more.

...

Sae stumbled as she struggled to pull on her boot, losing her precarious balance. Her hand flew out to clutch at the thin wooden slat on the wall, fingers stretching the webbed rice paper; stomping her foot, she sighed as the shoe finally fit on, before tackling the other. Hopping while yanking at the thick black canvas, her eye squinted in irk when it refused to slide up her small calf.

"Troubles?" She twitched like a frightened rabbit at Madara's smooth voice, spinning to see him on the threshold to the bathroom. Saezuri stilled when she noted that his chest was bare, blinking when she beheld the deep-seated scar spread across the front of his ribcage. Her wrists clenched compulsively, scarce wiry tendons outlining themselves as her foot popped inside her boot the rest of the way. Glancing down in surprise, she set her foot back upon the floor, aware of Madara smoothly slipping into his sleek black turtleneck, and whirling his dark haori over his broad shoulders.

"Toorima, it's really difficult." Sae quickly spoke, having looked over the jutsu scroll more when she awoke. The concept behind the chakra manipulation wasn't connecting in her head, the wordy explanations doing nothing to help her see the delicate details needed.

"Just keep studying." Sae frowned, having hoped that he would demonstrate. She had assumed that he had known the jutsu himself, having possessed the scroll. Her dark eyes tracked Madara as he crossed the room, when it suddenly connected in Sae's head, why he refused to show her the jutsu; he couldn't. She had seen the inset scar across his chest, spanning where she could remember seeing diagram upon diagram of the chakra coil system in her academy days. Glancing down, she realized that he had never used a single jutsu in all the time she'd known his thus far, besides the very weak spit of fire he had conjured to save her from the grass nin. It unnerved her, that even relying upon taijutsu and his eyes alone that he was so powerful. Saezuri studied his broad shoulders as he effortlessly attached his armor to his arms, able to see the smooth muscles moving.

"That scar...?" She stepped closer, stilling when he glanced over his shoulder at her. She had expected him to be angry; however, she only caught a hint of a glinting eye, and his lips curled upwards before her eyes darted away instinctively, meek. "Does it have anything to do with your plan?" She played with the hem of her shirt, a habit that had formed long, long years ago.

"Aa." Madara's voice was delicately amused as he turned fully. He touched Sae's chin, her eyes instantly darting to his angular ones, "I'll heal myself and this world of anything that has ever plagued it. Complete peace, in effect." His lips curled further as he dipped down, capturing Sae's lips with his own. She lost herself for a moment, giving into his firm kiss before seemingly realizing what was happening. Saezuri twitched back, quivering fingers flying to her lips, doe eyes searching Madara's face. She found his expression smooth as he paused, before gliding back to his full height and taking a step away from her.

"I-" Sae murmured, dropping her hand from her face. She dithered for a moment, before stepping forward and arching up onto her tiptoes, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips. She heard and felt him chuckle underneath their kiss, his chest rumbling as he pressed forward, arms wrapping around her delicate back. Sae squealed with surprise when he nipped at her bottom lip, the arc of pain splitting through her half-healed wound; she made to jerk back, but his lips smoothed over, effectively setting her skin afire with tingles and distracting her. Saezuri wilted just as his hand threaded through her hair, her arms twining around his neck lest she fall over.

"Let's go to breakfast." Madara pulled back, pleased when he caught sight of Sae's pupils blown wide as she unsteadily detached herself from him, blinking when he reached out and thumbed her cheek. He smirked, letting her collect herself as he whirled from the room, long hair swaying with his step. Saezuri shook her hands out and swept her light hair back, inhaling peacefully as she followed after Madara.

"Saezuri-sama." One of the maids bent to pour her tea as Sae sat herself at Madara's right, resolutely refraining from glancing at him. Similarly, he was focused on his food, ignoring the daimyo as he talked about rice fields. Sae ate lightly, keeping from filling herself. She caught Reika glancing at her several times, and always met the woman's gaze head on, even cocking a brow. The brown haired woman humphed, striking up a conversation with her son about hakama.

"Saezuri." She almost dropped her chopsticks at Madara's velvet voice, fumbling to prevent them from clattering to the table noisily.

"Yes?" She tilted and glanced at him, cheeks flushed minutely.

"We'll work on Toorima in the east courtyard." He was flat, unwilling to elaborate when the daimyo perked, obviously looking for answers. Madara's lips curled as he went back to his food, enjoying the man's apprehension on letting them loose to train on his estate.

* * *

Thoughts~?


	13. Chapter 13

I've been swamped with schoolwork. D:  
Not fun, and its frustrating when I get bright ideas, and then have no time to write.  
Anywho, this chapter was fun~!

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- Haha! Madara seems to do that. I myself get excited writing his character. ;)

SerbiaTakesCntrl- My! I seem to be distracting everyone from homework, myself included. XD

Valinor's Twilight- Glad you like it!

Michi-tan- YES! You impatient kit, you. But Madara-fluff tickles me pink, so you'll sure be seeing a lot of it~!

skytten- O.O I love how you see right through my intentions.  
Your predictions/analysizations are always spot on, it astounds me!

Zuckaiy- Heh, I'm happy you like her!

* * *

Sae rolled out the slim scroll on the ground with a nimble flick of her finger, neat kanji and body diagrams revealing themselves. Madara crouched beside her, eyes swiftly darting over the content. At the time he had acquired the scroll, he had already been shuttered off from his chakra, unable to learn it even if he had desired; his sharingan surfaced, analyzing through the diagrams. He glanced up when Sae shifted, standing to her feet. Slim hands flicked through the dozen handseals, and he watched her chakra bubble inside her abdomen, shifting shape with each seal. She settled on the final sign- bird, her fingers steepled together. He could see the slight blue of her chakra dissipate outwards, before it suddenly fizzled out and vanished.

"I can always feel it start to... move, and then it's just gone." Sae frowned, curiously looking down at her stomach where Madara's stare was fixed.

"Aa." He limbered to his feet, going toe-to-toe with her. His heavy hands enclosed hers, adjusting her final seal. He stepped back, flicking his hand at her, signaling to start over. Once more he watched her chakra vanished, coil system almost shuttering the energy from taking effect. "You need to relax. Completely." Sae's eyes drifted down, sunlight outlining her lashes. She stared at the scroll, frowning.

"But it doesn't-"

"Trust me." Madara cut her off, watching as she sighed and ran through the seals again. Her chakra made it farther than before, and he was convinced he had found the problem. "Work on being able to find complete peace." He caught her eye, sharingan fading from his own, "It'll be hard on the battlefield. This was classified as an S-class for that very reason. Shinobi were dying as they lost focus on their enemies." He turned and sat on the outside porch, cross-legged as he observed Sae in the middle of the courtyard, boots firmly stationed in the dirt underfoot as she held her hands together and focused.

"Has she gone mad?" The daimyo approached Madara some time later, the Uchiha lazily leaning against a support post.

"She's training." He spoke, just as Sae flicked her eyes open for the twelfth time, quickly running through seals. She paused on the last, a frustrated grunt escaping her as nothing happened. She shook her hands out and went back to focusing, Madara's mellow presence barely noticed.

"And here I had assumed you'd be ripping my estate apart with fancy battlework." Bunpei shifted, his expression tightening when Madara's eyes slid up to meet his, those onyx orbs glinting.

"That could still be arranged." His voice was cool, the daimyo further tensing.

"No no, that's alright." Bunpei's voice petered up, anxious. The traditional housing materials he had painstakingly gathered were expensive, and particularly delicate. Already he had servants still scrubbing at his son's bloodstains in the main dining area, the antiqued wood having soaked up the moisture with zeal.

"Madara?" Sae broke the silence, the Uchiha tilting his head towards her questioningly, "Can we work on something else already?" Her voice had an ornery edge to it, very subtle, but it was there. Madara delighted in hearing it, the corners of his mouth curling as he ambled to his feet in one fluid motion, rising above the daimyo.

"Of course, my dear. We'll spar." His eyes sidled over to observe Bunpei from his peripherals, the man's disgruntled expression amusing him further. Sae slipped out her katana, blinking owlishly when the daimyo hurried down the steps into the courtyard raising his arms, his ceremonial kimono hindering his movement.

"Wait wait, now. Be careful, this house-"

"Oh?" Madara cocked a brow, challenging him with his tone. With a disinterested air, he slipped a handful of kunai from his belt, carelessly throwing them towards Saezuri.

"What-" She gasped as the knifes whistled softly, forced to deflect them else they pierce her vitals. One dug into the dirt at the daimyo's feet, two others burying themselves in the wood screening behind Sae.

"Now _look_ here!" The daimyo, red faced and sweating, whirled on Madara, falling silent when he saw scarlet irises dangerously locked onto him.

"You were saying?" Madara's voice dropped, watching with satisfaction when Bunpei cowed, still furious, but silent. He pulled himself up with dignity and swept from the area, Sae's eyes tracking him. She cocked her head, squealing with surprise and pain when Madara slugged her shoulder, his fists raised. His eyes glinted as she hurriedly fixed her lax posture, raising her katana to catch his next punch with the flat of the blade.

"Was that really necessary?" She huffed when she was tossed back, stumbling to keep her balance in the loose dust underfoot.

"Surprise." Madara's eyebrows arched cunningly as he swiftly lifted his leg and kicked her chest, sending Sae to the ground roughly. She quickly rolled to avoid his follow-up stomp, arcing on her curved spine in a quick back tumble to pop back up to her feet. Her face had a smear of dust across it, coating her left eyelashes and making them stand white against her dark eye. Saezuri whipped her katana around, catching on Madara's shoulder armor; the blade slipped in under a plate, the sudden stop of momentum ripping the hilt from Sae's hand. Defenseless, she flung herself back to avoid a lethal swipe of his hand, arms splaying wide. She caught his next kick with both of her forearms, wincing when she felt his hard shin slam right onto the flat of her bones. Ducking under, she caught her blade from where it had fell to the ground, instinctively leaping into an aerial as Madara lashed back with his elbow. Her feet spun over through the air, blonde strands trailing through the dust as she flipped, firmly landing with a skid. Raising her katana, she lunged forward, Madara forced to catch her wrist and spin to her back, where with a deep grunt he flung her over his shoulder. Sae coughed when her back hit the ground squarely, wind knocked out her lungs. She flinched and threw her arms up to cover her head, knowing that she was left wide open. She felt resistance behind the katana she still clutched however, cautiously shifting and peeking out after a tense moment to see she had caught Madara's hand, the blade driven straight through.

"Oh my-" Sae's mouth formed a little 'O' as she scrambled to her feet. Her hands quivered as she dithered, unsure as to whether to pull the sword out; it had been driven straight between the bones of his middle and ring finger, blood already liberally coating his skin and dripping down the metal.

"It's fine." She twitched up to meet Madara's eyes, her lips trembling. With a swift jerk he disengaged his hand, and Sae felt a pang when she caught the muscle under his eye twitch at the sensation. She lowered her katana, the bloody tip softly pillowing in the dust below.

"I-" She paused, before her face set and she slammed her dirty blade back into the sheath on her waist, snatching up Madara's intact hand. She hauled him back inside the house, throwing open the first linen closet she found, unsteady hands riffling through the materials. Jerking out a pillowcase, she wrapped it around his hand, the light material quickly staining red as she whipped out a full sheet, not bothering to close the closet as she pushed him into the nearest bathroom. Saezuri tore the sheet into long strips, cautiously peeking under the pillowcase. She stilled and glanced up when Madara thumbed her cheek, blinking bewilderedly at the grin on his face, his eyes light as he observed her. Sae shook her head and went back to staunching the flow of blood, pouring antiseptic over the gaping wound. Madara chuckled as he lifted his hand, able to see cleanly through before blood slowly wept into the crevice, Sae snatching his fingers back as she began to wind the strips of sheet carefully around.

"You really shouldn't leave blood inside your sheath." He broke the silence, relaxed as he easily ignored the sharp pangs of his hand, Sae's delicate fingers sending jolts up through his arm every time she gently brushed his wound. She made a startled noise in the back of her throat, lips curling as she scoffed.

"That's not my concern right now." She tucked the end of the strip under as gently as she could, the crisp, makeshift bandage gleaming against Madara's lightly tanned skin. He chuckled and clenched his damaged hand, clapping it into his other. Sae twitched at the imagined impact.

"My hand is fine. Take care of your sword." He ordered, departing the room. The last Sae saw was his hair flicking around the corner, and then she was left standing, in the middle of the lavish bathroom with a bloodied pillowcase and ruined sheet pooled at her feet. Sighing, she slipped out her katana and ran it under the faucet, watching with fascination as the half-dried blood flecked away down the sink. Next was her sheath, which she ran full of water and emptied until it ran clear, peering inside the dark container with an onyx eye curiously; the shadowed depths seemed clean, as she slipped the blade in with a sharp clack, once more attaching the weapon to her waist.

It felt heavier.

* * *

Thoughts? ;D


	14. Chapter 14

I've got a snow day today. Weeeeh!  
Thank you all so much for your reviews, they really keep me going some days. ^^

This is short, I know, I know, don't beat me. D:  
I wanted a nice break before going into the next arc, though.

* * *

When Sae returned to the bedroom that evening, she found Madara reclining on the bed, hands laid comfortably over his stomach. Giving him a passing glance, she riffled through her bag, pulling out oil and a fine cloth and set to polishing her katana.

"Can't you heal your hand?" She spoke after some time, the blade in her grip considerably more handsome, reflecting light like it had when she first obtained it.

"I can't manufacture that much chakra at once." He was blunt, glancing over to where she was sat cross-legged on the floor.

"...I'm sorry." She adverted her eyes, disinterestedly picking at a rivet on her katana with a sharp fingernail.

"Aa." He looked to the ceiling, face neutral. Ever aware of her sullen silence, he sidled his gaze back; Sae's unhappy expression was set as she fiddled with the sharp edge of her blade, picking at a knot in the wood floor. "You could give me your chakra, however, if it bothers you so." His lips quirked at her startle, big eyes swiftly darting up to meet his. She blinked twice, before ambling to her feet in one steady movement, slipping her katana into the horizontal sheath at her waist.

"What do I do?" She shifted, as Madara sat up from the many throw pillows strewn at the head of the bed. He gestured for her, watching as she settled across from him on the plush surface.

"Your hands." Saezuri held them out, letting Madara take hold of them in his over-large ones after he stripped the stained bandages. She could feel the sickly heat radiating out of the wound as he grasped her hands tight. "All you have to do is give a steady flow." His gaze was strong, confident, compared to Sae's quiver as she bit at her lip nervously-- the action reminded her of the bruises still marring her visage.

"Alright." She spoke as she gathered chakra, focusing the stream on her hands. Madara inclined his head minutely at the sensation. Her energy was smooth and softly warm, malleable as he bent it to his will; nothing like his own intense chakra, accustomed to the comforting heat it seared through his veins. Saezuri's eyes searched his as she waited for something to happen, her dark orbs darting down when a pulsing green glow covered their hands collectively. She watched the meat and muscles of Madara's hand stitch back together, before smooth, tanned skin stretched over the opening. Elated, Sae smiled and gently kissed his knuckles as the glow dissipated, happy to have helped fix what she ruined. Madara cocked his head, the feel of her swelled lip reminding him. Gathering up the remnants of her energy still coursing through his chakra system, he touched first her cheekbone before tracing to her lip, the dark bruises fading away with relative ease. She shivered at the unexpected touch of his textured fingertips, her own slim ones skimming over her now clear skin, mingling with his rough hands. Madara smiled at the effect he had on her, angular eyes thinning deviously. Taking her chin, he smoothly leaned forward and overwhelmed her lips, possession roaring strong in his blood. She chirped lightly in surprise, stunned as he dipped forward, furthering his hold on her. His fingers slid around to the bottom of her hairline, strong hands enclosing her neck in both a display of power and tenderness; he could feel her pulse throbbing just below, spiking when he smoothed her petal lips open. His thumbs massaged her throat as her hands tentatively rose to thread through his hair, a very soft mumble coming from her at the luxurious swipes of his tongue. Sae sucked down much needed oxygen as Madara broke away, nuzzling the underside of her jaw with the ridge of his nose, a contented rumble coming from his chest as she drew close.

"O-oh my..." Sae twitched when the shoji slid open softly, the maid's face blazing red as she clutched at the linen basket she was carrying. Madara's eyes dulled as the servant hurriedly closed the screening, aware of Saezuri's tensed body.

"Well." She nervously detangled herself from him, giving a little titter of a laugh as she adverted her eyes, suddenly embarrassed. Madara studied her as her fingers twisted in the duvet, having to remind himself that she wasn't that long into adulthood; no doubt that she hadn't experienced anything this intense, her nineteen years paling next to Madara's long life. He chuckled and ruffled her hair, glancing out the window. The sun was long down, and if they were to accomplish all that he had planned tomorrow, he would need all the daylight he could salvage.

"Get some sleep." Madara shifted under the duvet as Sae unbelted her katana and kunai, settling next to him. She cocked her head at his sudden distance, scooting closer. With a small curl of his lips, Madara obliged and engulfed her in his arm; pleased when her head fit comfortably into the crook of his arm, her hands curled between their chests. Dusty blonde strands mingled with the ink of his own hair, something Madara played with as Sae quickly dropped off into unconsciousness as per usual.

* * *

Madara sat up straight abruptly as he watched Sae disappear right in front of his eyes.

"Madara!" He heard her voice cry out in elation, her silhouette coming back into existence as her concentration was lost. She stumbled as chakra exhaustion took its toll, a large grin spread across her face. Sae fell to the earth, hair mingling in the dust as she fought to gain her breath back.

"Excellent." Madara slipped from the veranda, extending a sinuous hand to help her to her feet.

"Now what?" Sae asked as she dusted her tan clothes off, looking to his cunning face. Madara crossed his arms and smirked, aware of the daimyo silently watching them from across the courtyard, leaning out one of his study's windows casually.

"Take this." He slipped a square of paper from his kunai pouch, giving it to Sae. She took it bewilderedly, seeing nothing worth noting. "Exert a small amount of chakra." She frowned, jerking with surprise as the paper wilted, soaked thoroughly. Madara cocked his head interestedly, tossing the ruined paper to the ground.

"What does that mean?" Sae asked as she rolled up the scroll for Toorima, too exhausted to even think of attempting it again.

"You're water natured, my dear." He watched as she seized up, eyes unfocused as she processed that information. Frowning at her reaction, he pinned her with his gaze when she raised her head.

"My father was water natured." She supplied at his look, glancing off the the side. With a forceful jerk, she tied off the scroll in her hand, replacing it into the pouch at her hip.

"Aa?" Madara cocked a brow, waiting.

"He died when I was young. I don't like to think of him, is all." Sae turned and glanced up at the sun, noting its position in the sky. Madara discarded his next question, instead prodding between Sae's shoulder blades, beckoning her to go inside the house.

"We'll be going this afternoon." His eyes slid over to where Bunpei was still looking out his window, meeting the man's eyes. "I do think we've overstayed our welcome, anyhow." He smirked deviously, aware of Sae shaking her head bemusedly. They hadn't exactly been welcomed guests.

* * *

Your feelings?


	15. Chapter 15

Ahhh, update!

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- Indeed, dratted maid.

Valinor's Twilight- Thanks, sweetiecheeks. (:

Michi-tan- It was a dull snow day, but still, better than school!  
Glad to make you all smiley~

SerbiaTakesCntrl- Fangirl away, my dear. ;D

-PENUCHI-- Waaooooooow! :O  
Favorite story, I'm honored.

Hidden in Sunlight- No, no kidnappings.....  
Besides, I think Madara would beat bloody anybody who tried to steal her away without his consent. :3

Zuckaiy- Wooh! Here we are!  
More for your soulllll.

Apple-blossom-tea- Heh heh heh. I knew the kiss would stir you people up!

On to other matters, the recent manga makes me want to just beat Sakura into the ground.  
Oh, frustration, Kishi, how you play me.

Anywho, enjoy!

* * *

Saezuri glanced up at the muted sun, thick clouds covering all except a faint circular glow as she frowned. Already she was tired of the perpetual dimmed effect the landscape conveyed-- she missed the dry heat of the Earth country, even the bright, gritty cities of Grass. Yet as Madara and she approached Kirigakure by the day, the land grew dull to her. Weeks had gone since leaving Earth, her home country that she had had barely any time to indulge in; all in favor for the damp lands of Mist to learn her some water jutsu. Plans were to infiltrate Kiri, Madara's quiet confidence greatly confusing Sae.

Would they really be able to manage to slip into a fortified hidden village so easily?

"Those weapons you spoke of long ago, what are they?" Sae questioned as she calmly supplemented her feet with chakra, the water coating the ground becoming liberal enough that her boots were beginning to dampen. The unfamiliar feeling of buoyancy threw her for a moment.

"Why the sudden question?" Madara's eyes slid over, observing her. His insides quickened when he noticed her still at his scrutiny, pleased that he still affected her so; three months had passed since he had whisked her away, yet he still evoked that teasing tingle of danger at the base of her skull.

"You just never explained, is all." Her eyes drifted down, quietly watching as the saturated ground gave way to a full lake. The expanse of gray water stretched as far as she could see.

"I'm collecting great, raging Youma to utilize against the shinobi nations who will oppose me in the future." Sae jerked and blinked owlishly at him, almost losing her footing and plunging into the deepened water below.

"I- really?" She frowned when Madara turned an uncompromising face to her, serious in all aspects. She suddenly lurched forward when her foot broke through the surface of the lake, arms flailing with the instinctive reaction to catch hold of something. Madara snatched her elbow and slid to a stop, water arcing from his feet. Sae sucked air into her winded lungs, looking with large eyes to the black sludge that was seeming to just float casually on top of the water.

"Oil. It's less dense and requires less chakra." Madara spoke as he helped her regain balance, a grin stretching his angular features. Sae looked from their translucent, blackened reflections below, lips parting when she spotted the hull of a large ship peaking out of the water.

"That must be where it came from." She frowned, following after Madara's now leisurely pace.

"Aa. I doubt there are any survivors." He failed to note the disgruntled emotion pass across her features, "Most likely they sank in the middle of the night."

"It's so big." Sae's voice was quiet as she approached the hull, trailing a feathery hand across the ice cold metal.

"From the Land of Water." Madara scratched a sharp nail across the country's embossed seal, the metal singing with the vibration. He dropped his hand and looked to Sae, jerking his head in the signal to move on; something else she had learned from him during the long weeks transversing the Fire country. Jumping to follow, she quickly caught up, eyes clear and bright as she glanced up at him. Her orbs traced the bony underside of his jaw, curving up to the petite ear she knew was hidden under the long length of his hair. With a small smirk his gaze darted to her, the grin increasing as his onyx eyes glinted deviously. Lurching forward, Madara streaked out across the water, laughing when Sae called out in irritation; with a delicate sigh she dashed after him, the wet _squicks_ of her boots obnoxiously loud compared to his silent feet. She fought to catch up, his amused chuckles making a grin surface to her own face.

* * *

Ichino Hanae glanced out the tall window to her left, securing her grip on the large files she clutched to her chest as she laid tiny fingertips against the cold glass. Kiri lay sprawled before her-- tall, compact circular buildings dominated the general structure with little vegetation and sharp crags forming the backdrop. Today was particularly damp, moisture beading on all the windows lining the wall. With a fell sigh Hanae let her hand drop, the clack of her heeled boots the only noise in the deserted, curved hall. Already she was working far past normal hours.

"Hanae? You're still here, child?" Hearing the surprised old voice, Hanae turned on her heel to see one of the elders leaning out of a doorframe. Recognizing the old man as Kouja-sama, she dipped slightly in a modest bow.

"Yes, I still have to take care of these." She let her hand thud dully on the thick files in her arms, smiling sweetly. Kouja scratched his bald, wrinkled head, squinting at her.

"You're a young woman, Hanae. This dusty place in no home for you." He grinned dully, showing his toothless mouth-- his pink gums glimmered slightly in the light. Unnerved, Hanae merely nodded, not taking his words at their face value.

"Have a nice night, Kouja-sama." She dismissed herself, turning back down the hall as soon as the old man started to nod. Increasing her pace, she quickly was out of view, the curving hall taking her straight to the room she needed. Opening the heavy steel door, Hanae flicked on the lights with a child-sized finger, coughing lightly on the musty, unused air. Letting the files fall with a overbearing thud to one of the sterile tables, she read the cards tacked to the wall above each filing bookcase, scooping up the top file with careful arms. Standing on tiptoe, Hanae fought to slip it between two other files; her short stature barely let her reach the fourth shelf. She repeated the process for the other four files, each nearly as thick as her palm was wide. She brushed her hands off on each other, swiping her short hair out of her face. The brown strands were rebellious, the heightened humidity causing the fibers to collect static. Locking the room on her way out, Hanae tossed her keys back into the pouch on her hip, clothed in a modest long sleeve and capri pants unlike many of the kunoichi in her rank. Taking the steps two at a time, she quickly descended inside the large tower, the sheer size owing to the fact it held the Mizukage's operating office. All important documents were shelved inside, something that Hanae was in charge of keeping in order and up to date.

The task was monumental.

Catching a handrail, she vaulted over the shined metal, skipping having to go around the large fountain in the atrium. It was something that had been installed in the beginning of the Godaime's reign, meant to beautify and uplift the otherwise grim building. Hanae could see the merit behind such an effort, but.... Kiri was still wounded. Terumi-sama was an optimistic woman, someone that Hanae looked up to, even; however, the memories of the young boy she had had to slaughter to graduate still lingered in her memory, forever unforgotten. She had grown up under the Yondaime's harsh rule, her attitude radically different than the academy student she sometimes caught glimpse of now. They were happy, much lighter than her generation had been as they learned the mechanics of being a shinobi.

"Hanae-san~!" One of the academy students she had just been thinking of ran up to her, abandoning the meat stall he had been studying the contents of curiously.

"Ah, Shigeru-kun!" Hanae ruffled his hair, smiling. The boy beamed at her, ignoring his disheveled brown locks in favor of lifting his cupped hands to her.

"Look what I found at the seaside today!" She spotted a shell in his hands, the creature still living inside. Stooping to observe closer, she laughed as a small claw snipped out cautiously.

"Woooow." She cooed, more for the benefit of Shigeru than actual astonishment. She was rewarded with a huge smile and bright eyes as he curled his hands back around the creature protectively.

"I'm going to give it to Yuki-chan to keep for me." He fondly mentioned his sister, wrapping the shell inside his handkerchief as he slipped it back inside his shinobi pouch carefully.

"I'm sure she'll keep splendid care of it for you." Hanae tittered even as she mentally winced. Yuki was nearing twenty years old, already wed and about as prim and delicate as a woman could get. Hanae doubted the urchin would be well received.

"Yeah!" Shigeru agreed, starting to trot backwards with his hands clasped behind his back. "I'll see you, Hanae-san!" He called before turning, sprinting off down the street with boundless energy. Shaking her head at the boy, she meandered through the thinning amounts of people, most withdrawing to their homes as the sky darkened. Stopping in front of her apartment door, Hanae fished out her keys once more and jingled them in her doorknob, surprised to note that she had left all her lights on. Cautiously closing the door behind her, her heart leapt into her throat as a tall, black haired male walked out of her bathroom casually, toweling his neck dry.

"I hope you don't mind. They sent me here when I arrived this afternoon." Hanae flicked out a handful of kunai dangerously as he spoke, hardening her heart while he yelped and held up his hands in alarm.

What was going on?

.

* * *

Sae felt her throat constrict as she caught sight of the looming towers, figuring the heavily guarded village was Kiri. Madara flicked his arm out, motioning for her to stop.

"You'll be entering under the guise of a long missing anbu-nin." He settled a hand on his hip, eyes turning upward as he mused. "Shinobi number 009237, real name unknown, grown male of 25. Last known alias of Ryo." Sae blinked rapidly at the barrage of information, struggling to commit it to memory.

"And this man won't be coming back and ruining my cover any time soon?"

"Of course not." Madara's voice was mildly disapproving, eyes glinting as he locked gazes with her, "I killed him myself many years ago." Sae shivered, adverting her eyes-- what a man she had chosen to follow. "And might I suggest changing your alias to Seiji, or something of the like."

"Seiji?" She tilted her head, ponderous.

"Better known as Sei." Madara smirked, watching it connect in her head. Undercover, it was best to augment lies with pieces of the truth. Sei for Sae, she wouldn't have to train herself to answer to an alien name.

"And this man's looks?" Her eyes widened slightly when Madara clasped her svelte shoulders with his large hands, his hair dancing in the wind.

"Leave that to me." He said as his sharingan spun to life, Saezuri clamming up at the beautiful red orbs. Madara easily lulled her into a trance, her onyx eyes dulled as she stood slackly. Removing his hands to slip out a bottle of ink from his pouch, he drew bold lines ranging over her face, down her slender arms, and, removing her shirt, around to the small of her back where they all connected in an intricate seal. Sae's skin was warm where he touched, the soft flesh making him yearn to experience more.

However, now was not the time.

Gathering what small remnants of chakra he could produce, the pressed into the dried ink with the pad of his thumb, her look radically changing in a span of seconds. Her hair grew jet black and more coarse, shoulders centimeters broader and more masculine. Circling to her front, Madara beheld a smooth man's chest, the bandages still covering where her breasts used to be. His sharingan faded as did the mild genjutsu hazing her mind, icy blue eyes blinking open where her onyx used to be.

"Wow." She studied her hands curiously, the hard tendons and strong bones alien to her. She cupped her face, the feminine gesture strange to behold.

"Puzzling?" Madara laughed, his eyes glinting as he pulled her hands down. "I've literally sealed this appearance over you. Shinobi will detect no jutsu hazing your features, unless they're a sealing expert." His head twisted to look at the distant towers of Kiri, lips quirking, "Of which I know they have none."

"What about you? How will you slip in?" She asked, her masculine features not doing much to quell the feminine gestures she constantly made. Madara figured she would just have to be taken as an effeminate man, as there was nothing to do to change her ingrained habits.

"Don't worry about me." He smirked, taking off towards the village. Sae ran after him, relieved to find that her body still functioned much the same, despite being broader and more heavy-built. She quickly fell into the motions, naturally adopting a much more brisk and aggressive stride with her larger frame.

"You name?" The guard eyed her suspiciously, Madara having slipped from her side without being noticed. Sae straightened her back, locking honest eyes with the shinobi.

"Shinobi 009237. I've returned, finally." She fought to keep her voice steady and confident-- as if this was routine, dull to her. The guard flicked through his papers, returning her with a hard glare.

"I've got no papers on you." Sae's heart rocketed at his unwillingness, fearing having been caught already. The guard companion however, appraised her with more forgiving eyes.

"How long have you been away?" He asked kindly, seeing that the clothes she wore -ones that Madara had conjured, ragged affairs, really- were outdated, from a different era.

"Quite some years, I've lost count." She bluffed, unnerved at the depth of her voice. How strange, to be male.

"I'll get someone on it." He radioed in, asking for a runner to be sent with any papers on a shinobi number 009237. Sae dithered for a few minutes, aware of the still hostile attitude of the first guard.

"Sir." A genin handed off a file to the kinder man, who looked up and smiled at Sae.

"Welcome home." He snapped the file shut, giving it back to the genin, who promptly departed. Sae refrained from glancing at all at either of them as she ambled inside the village, immediatly assaulted with the presence of gray. Buildings were made of gray stone, the streets were a washed out gray, even the sky, perpetually cloudy, was gray.

Acting like she knew where she was going, Sae collected quite a few curious glances. A new face, she presumed, was uncommon. Decided on heading for the largest building, towering over all else, she found that Kiri was not all that large. Relieved that she had chosen right, that the building was indeed the housing for the Mizukage, she entered and promptly attracted the attention of the secretary.

"Terribly sorry, miss," She rubbed at her neck, aware of the secretary's interested gaze, "But could you point me in the direction of the anbu head?" She eagerly gave Sae directions, who committed them to memory. Traveling down the ergonomic halls, Sae stopped in front of an office deep inside. Opening the door after a courtesy knock, she found an imposing man behind his desk. Squat and battle scarred, she got the feeling he had seen at least one war. Squaring her shoulders, she stepped foot inside the office, locking eyes with the man.

"Sir, I've returned." She knew, it was this man's, the anbu commissioner's, opinion that mattered most. If he failed to accept her, she was dead. Quite literally.

"Who's 'I'?" A gravelly voice, she found him to be incredibly intimidating.

"Ryo is what I last went by. 009237, in other words." She inclined her head, unused to the black hair that fell forward, "Which, I'd like to change my alias. To Ryudo Seiji, sir."

"Oh?" The man raised a brow, leaning back in his chair to observe her. Sae was relived to note that he seemed accepting enough.

"Welcome back then, Seiji." He said after a few moments, grim expression easing somewhat.

"Sei, please, sir." Sae bowed shortly, aware of his nod. "Also, a request?" The man tilted his chin in question, motioning for her to continue, "I had to seal away most of my learned jutsu from my knowledge to protect Kiri when I was captured years ago." Sae adverted her eyes, as if in embarrassment. "Now, I'm finding myself sore for them." The commissioner nodded along, his mouth a set line.

"I believe you could use the services of a certain Ichino Hanae." He wrote down the woman's address, flicking it to Sae, "I'm sure she'd be delighted to help you."

* * *

Your lovely thoughts?  
Nice reviews for Valentines day! :D


	16. Chapter 16

I'm inexplicably tired and neeed sleep. D:

I did find a little time to write though!

* * *

"Sei-san?" Hanae cautiously lowered her kunai, studying the man across from her. He nodded rapidly, relaxing somewhat.

"Aa. I need access to the village's scrolls." Sae curiously eyed the tiny woman across from her, taking a few steps forward with her stranger's body. "I'd like to start tonight, if at all possible."

"Hm." Hanae frowned, brushing brown hair behind her ear. "We could start with the master scroll, I suppose." Sae blinked, not understanding. "You're welcome to my guest room, also. I realize that you must not have housing arrangements if you've been gone as long as you say." She formed multiple handseals as she spoke. Sae recoiled when a large cloud of smoke filled the room, throwing up her arms in preparation for an attack.

"Wh-"

"Have I startled you?" Hanae questioned bewilderedly, holding the top wooden spool of a very, very large scroll as the smoke dissipated. Sae refrained from letting her jaw drop, instead slipping a bony finger under the collar of her shirt, the fishnet irritating her skin.

"No, no." She quickly asserted, uncomfortable with Hanae's straight-forward gaze.

"We'll move this to the guest room then, and you can get started." The small woman tittered, gesturing for Sae to take the scroll. She doubted Hanae was even capable; it was nearly as tall as her, and definitely more round. Gripping foreign, wiry arms around the scroll, Sae heaved with all her might and managed to uplift it a bare inch. Hurrying after the small woman, she let it thump to the floor inside a quaint little bedroom, panting from the effort.

"Holy-" Sae leaned against the wall, winded.

"Exactly why it's a summons scroll." Hanae smiled wryly, "And it protects it. It will de-summon itself if about to be critically damaged. Useful for training excursions." She paused in the doorway, glancing over her shoulder at Sae. "I trust you have everything you need?"

"Yes, thank you." Sae started to unravel the scroll, curiously tracing the large water symbol engrained on the first expanse. Hanae left as Sae started to skim, water jutsu after water jutsu, interested in what Kiri had to offer. She noted that they ascended in difficulty, and immediately started pulling at the thick paper to get to the top ranks.

"You make a rather clever male." Sae startled bad at Madara's smooth voice in her ear, arms hitting the core of the scroll hard enough that it started to topple. Her frantic hands only increased the tilt of the heavy object, as it finally landed horizontally on the floor with a tremendous thud. The windows rattled and a picture frame fell off the desk in the corner, and she heard something shatter in the kitchen. Sae spun to her feet wildly, black locks flying as her bright eyes darted across the room.

Madara was nowhere in sight.

"Sei-san?!" Hanae bust through the door, making Sae stumble in surprise.

"Ah, sorry." She rubbed the back of her head, hurrying to right the scroll. Hanae helped her, stepping back as Sae sighed.

"I trust you weren't hurt?" Hanae's soft voice asked, Sae waving her hands.

"I'm fine."

"I'm almost scared to leave you alone." Hanae laughed lightly as she trailed back out the door, leaving a flustered Sae. As soon as she was out of sight, Sae furiously turned and started searching the room, wrenching open the closet door, looking under the bed, and into her personal bathroom.

"Greetings." Sae's hand flew to her chest as Madara's head morphed through the wall, before she was tempted to throttle him as he appeared fully.

"Don't make this a habit." Her tone was ornery as she plopped back onto the floor, picking up the long trail of paper from the scroll.

"Make what a habit?" Madara's voice was delicately amused as he crossed the room, bending at the waist to look over Sae's shoulder. His long hair tickled her neck, even as she twisted to look up at him.

"Appearing and giving me anxiety attacks. Especially in front of Hanae." Irritated, she batted at Madara's hair that was on her, going back to identifying each jutsu.

"Oh?" He drawled as his hands slipped up her shoulders, burying themselves in her raven hair sensually. Sae felt the muscle under her eye tick as she tried to ignore him, failing as his thumbs pressed circles into the nape of her neck.

"You're acting particularly....Tobish." Sae bowed her head, unable to deny that his hands felt good, kneading her shoulders. He just chuckled in response, his hands threading back through her hair and fisting. Sae let out a sharp squeal of pain as he jerked her head back, masculine voice sounding odd. Ice blue eyes met Madara's, his dark orbs dancing as he grinned deviously.

"Sei-san, would you like some tea?" Madara's head shifted to the open doorway, as he darted down and gave Sae's forehead a kiss before vanishing. She reeled, senses haywire as Hanae appeared in the doorway, tray in hand.

"A-aa." Sae stuttered, reaching up from the floor to the cup Hanae handed her.

"Would you like to come into work with me tomorrow?" She was cheerful, clasping her hands around the now empty tray. Sae paused in her tentative sip, blinking twice.

"I think I'm set with this." She hiked a thumb over her shoulder, towards the massive scroll. Hanae smiled minutely, moving to leave the room.

"Jaa, then. I'm going to sleep." A flash of green eyes and she was gone, the floorboards creaking slightly as she moved through the apartment. Sae sat in silence a moment, half expecting Madara to show again. When nothing was forthcoming, she shrugged and gently set the tea by her knee, going back to skimming the jutsus.

* * *

Madara crouched on the side of the apartment complex, listening to Sae stumble over her words as she spoke to Hanae. His eyes slimmed as he arced his feet from the wall, sticking to the stucco surface with a single hand as he maneuvered into a vertical cling. A simple genjutsu concealed his appearance, as he laid in wait; the sound of a small rock being displaced had his head swiveling around, sharingan easily spotting the two concealed chakra signatures. The anbu nin were hidden on a neighboring roof, hunter masks in place as they signaled to each other.

_Take the left_. Madara caught the message from the lead anbu, he assumed, as they split formation. Leaping from the wall, he landed silently between them. With a graceful flip, he caught hold of the lesser anbu's shoulders, flinging him to the ground as he swept his leg around, digging powerfully into the lead's neck and slamming him to the roof. Both momentarily incapacitated, he forcefully gripped the lesser anbu's ankle and whipped him to lay next to his companion, mangekyo sharingan spinning wildly. He caught both men's strained gurgle as they succumbed to the genjutsu. Easing the stress from his posture, Madara glanced up at the drizzling sky-- musing that he still grasped the silent efficiency of the days of his prime.

"Curious about the newcomer?" He whispered quietly, his sharingan increasing pace as he manipulated the genjutsu. The anbu twitched as he burned into their memory a successful mission- no interruptions, smooth interrogations of Sei, details matching up. A bead of sweat slipped down Madara's temple at the strain, the forever feverish symptoms of his weakened body worsening with his exertions. Releasing the men's minds with a large exhale, he quickly cleared out with a simple flare of chakra, morphing into the building below to peruse the shadows as the anbu began to stir, clueless.

* * *

Thoughts?


	17. Chapter 17

Two chapters in one night! :O  
You lucky ducks. My sleepy medicine isn't working all too well, so I figured I might as well be productive. (:

SerbiaTakesCntrl- Well, it's Madara we're talking about, he's not a very nice companion. :b

Valinor's Twilight- Thank yuh!

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- Rough love makes the world go 'round~  
Eheheheh.

Ithilien1234- Yosh! Will do!

Michi-tan- Madara's chakra- well, you remember his fight with Hashirama, yes? He was wounded badly, and in the manga... 399, I believe, it shows a sword through his gut.  
Artistic liberty and yadda yadda, I decided to twist it into his chakra coils being damaged as we never really see him use any jutsu besides his teleportation and sharingan in the manga.  
So his chakra isn't exactly sealed, he's just unable to mix large amounts properly. At least in my mind. ;D

* * *

Sae flopped back onto her bed, eyes stinging from the strain of deciphering the compact kanji scrawled on the scroll. The long trail of paper was unwound nearly completely; it lay piled around the room, coiled enough to leave a minuscule walkway. Sae's legs were completely covered, diagrams and passively worded instructions glaring up at her.

"I need a break." She sighed as she carefully extracted herself from the room, closing the door as an afterthought. The apartment was empty, early afternoon sunshine filtering through the windows. It already had been a week, her mind crammed with theory after theory of water manipulation. Glancing in the mirror in the hall, Sae was appalled. Even with her foreign face, she could see the dark bags under her eyes, frizzed hair in odd angles. Combing her broad fingers through her hair, she arranged it in a semblance of acceptability, and pressed her cool fingers against her eyelids for a few moments. Convinced she looked the best she was going to without a good sleep and shower, she locked the door on her way outside. Slipping her hands into her pockets, Sae made her way down the stairs into the open street, curiously looking about. Her feet unconsciously took her in front of the Mizukage's building, which she decided to explore as she felt a few raindrops splatter her bare shoulders. The tanktop she wore was good quality, something she had obtained from the market rather... unconventionally using Toorima. The concealment jutsu had worked so well, the shopkeep hadn't even noticed her swipe up the few items.

"Ah, I'd heard that a survivor had wandered his way home!" A cheerful jounin exclaimed upon seeing her, the kunoichi he had been conversing with glancing at Sae curiously.

"Yeah?" Sae grinned, happy for the human contact.

"Welcome back, Anbu-san." The kunoichi tilted her head, voice soft and breezy with femininity.

"Sei, please." Sae murmured, glancing between the two.

"Of course. Uo, likewise." The kunoichi bowed lightly, black hair swaying.

"Ataka." The jounin offered up, scratching the tip of his nose. He glanced up when the door opened, blinking when a civilian woman entered.

"My, Sei-kun! There you are~!" She immediately rushed and grabbed onto Sae's arm, her tongue stuck out lightly in ecstasy. Sae looked to her with huge eyes, beholding a petite, attractive girl: long burgundy hair in loose ringlets that fell to her waist, and a doll of a face. "I've been looking all over for you today. Oh, my poor feet." She swooned lightly, Sae's eyebrow twitching as she finally had a hunch as to who this girl was.

"Did you do something different with your hair? It looks positively radiant today." Her voice was flat as she plucked up one of the long strands, twirling it around her thumb. The young woman squealed with delight, cuddling into Sae's arm more.

"I'm so glad you noticed, Sei-kun!" Sae's eyebrow twitched more at the high pitch, aware of Uo's light blush and the smirk on Ataka's face. She was going to _kill_ Madara. "Oh?" The girl's head perked, as if just noticing the two mist shinobi, "Ah, how rude. I'm Rie-chan, nice to meet you!" She swept into a delicate bow, detaching herself from Sae.

"Nice of you to finally come out of hiding, Rie." Sae was deadpan, as she purposely augmented her words with double meaning, glancing down at the top of the girl's head. Rie giggled cutely, her eyes slitting to look up at Sae deviously. A quick flash of a sharingan confirmed Sae's hunch.

"I'm sorry, I had to care for Gran. Her hip dislocated again." Rie bounced, her voice too happy for the message she was conveying. Ataka stepped forward and gently touched her arm, stooping enough to glance in Rie's dark eyes.

"I'm afraid that civilians aren't allowed here. I have to ask you to leave." He seemed genuinely sorry, although firm in enforcing the laws of his village. Rie's face fell, her enthusiasm deflating. Sae had to fight to hold back the scoff begging to come from her throat at Madara's behavior. She honestly couldn't believe him.

"It's okay! Sei-kun and I will be going, then." She tittered, Sae squawking at the iron grip Rie's tiny hand enforced around her wrist.

"Y-yeah. See you!" Sae called over her shoulder, stumbling to keep up with Rie's brisk stride. Sae was dragged out into the street, rain falling steadily now.

"Such an ungrateful urchin, you." Rie was teasing, her finger wagging in Sae's face as she stood on tiptoe. "Don't get too close to these shinobi." She flicked Sae's chest, dancing away with a giggle when Sae's hand snapped out to try and catch her fingers.

"Madara." Sae threatened lowly, her lip curling. She didn't know how, but he always chose alter-egos that irritated her nerves like no other. She almost preferred _Tobi_ over this overly cute, optimistic girl.

"Shh, Sei-kun!" Rie grabbed Sae's hand, smile over-bright as she pulled her through the streets. "Let's get some food!" She chirped, Sae stumbling over her broad feet as she was dragged into a sushi bar. Rie chose a private, low table, cuddling into Sae's side instead of sitting on the opposite side of the table as was the norm.

"One platter, please." Sae grumbled at the waiter, thoroughly irritated with Madara. She drew the line when she felt him lick and nibble on her neck, elbowing him harshly under cover of the table.

"Owwwwww-ee!" Rie squealed, holding her side as she drew away, pouting heavily. Sae merely quirked her lips and sipped at her sake dish, ignoring the small imp at her side. She nearly sprayed the liquid when Madara used his delicate fingers to pinch her side, the sudden pain causing Sae's eye to squint in irk.

"Food's here, foooood's here~" Rie sang and clasped her hands childishly as the waiter set a large platter of seafood on their table. Sae leaned forward and beckoned the waiter close with her bony finger.

"Only green tea for my companion here. I do believe she's had too much to drink." Sae fought the urge to laugh as the waiter left, Rie's eyes boring into her. Ignoring the sudden killing intent, Sae reached forward and plucked a shrimp from the platter, popping it into her mouth with a pleased expression. Oh, she _knew_ how Madara enjoyed sake, and his sudden irritation only tickled Sae further.

"My, you're being bitter today, Sei-kun." Rie pouted, flicking away her curls as she picked a piece of sushi, delicately eating the morsel.

"And you're being childish. I suppose we all have to indulge once in a while." Sae murmured as she sipped her sake mockingly. When Rie reached for the remaining liquid in the bottle, Sae snatched it away, using her much longer arms to her advantage. She laughed outright at Madara's disgruntled expression, his feminine doll-like face only increasing her mirth. Warm from the sake, Sae bumped him playfully as she set the bottle back to the table, far from his reach.

"I've never gotten you drunk, have I?" Madara's face stretched into a pointed grin at the realization, Rie's visage making the gesture seem more creepy than amused. Sae only smirked, grabbing more sushi.

"And you won't be." She said as she chewed. Rie laughed-- a pretty, tinkling chatter.

"I have to disagree." She laid her head on Sae's shoulder, who was too tired to try and brush her off.

"I'm not a heavy drinker. I severely doubt it." Sae hummed as she slipped a shrimp in her mouth. Madara just chuckled lightly, the sound amplified in her ear. The waiter dropped off their bill and whisked away their empty platter, Sae reaching for the slip of paper. She looked at the sum, a bloated price. She glanced at Madara, his cute woman's face blinking bewilderedly as Sae tried to hand him the slip.

"I haven't any money." He shrugged as Sae's jaw dropped. She....didn't have any either. With a slow glance they met each other's eyes, foreign icy blue meeting Madara's preserved onyx ones.

"On three?" Sae offered, clenching the paper into her fist. Rie nodded, curls bounding.

"One....two, three!" He flipped up and away from the table, Rie's petite stature making easy for him to leap out of the small opened window behind as Sae flicked through the handseals for Toorima, vanishing in an instant. Several customers screamed as they noticed her, comprehending that there were shinobi in action nearby. Sae used the panic to her advantage and slipped out the door, releasing her technique a few moments later in the street, crouched behind a vegetable cart. She felt the now familiar thud near her heart as her chakra was hit with the heavy expenditure. Sae glanced about for Madara, but seeing and sensing nothing, abandoned the hope. Tucking her hands back into her pockets, Sae headed back for Hanae's apartment, sure that by now she would have returned home from work, as the sun was started to redden and sink behind the dreary clouds forever coating the sky.

...

"I'm glad to see you got out some today, Sei-san. I was starting to worry." Hanae commented as she bustled in the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder as Sae came through the door.

"Aa. It did me good." Sae shut the door quietly, curiously tilting her head at Hanae's activity. Seeing bags strewn about, she assumed she had gone grocery shopping.

"Would you like rice for tonight?" Hanae asked cheerfully, stretching to try and put a box on the top shelf of the cupboard. Her cheeks flared red as Sae stepped behind her, taking the box and easily placing it. Hanae shuddered at the brush of Sae's masculine chest against her backbone, quickly whirling away in embarrassment.

"Rice would be nice, thank you." Sae replied, completely clueless to Hanae's flustered state. The short woman snapped out a hand and turned on the sink, turning her back to wash her hands, for an excuse to hide her heated cheeks. Composure collected, she dried her hands as she exhaled; Hanae turned to see Sae peeking curiously in a few of the bags, actions more forward than she would normally take, blood still pleasantly thrumming with sake.

"Out of there, you!" Hanae lightly snapped Sae's wrist with a pair of chopsticks, pointing the wood into her angular face. Sae chuckled and brushed a hand through her raven hair, reminded of its coarse texture and the need of a shower.

"Alright, alright!" Sae called as she left the kitchen, unaware of Hanae's jerky, nervous movements. Opening her door, Sae was assaulted with the mess she had left it in: scroll unwound all over the place, bed covers kicked into a ball. Taking a few minutes, she properly fixed the scroll, and flicked the duvet over the bed in a somewhat neat manner. Heading into the shower, she was faced with dealing with a foreign body. Taking time to strip her stolen clothes, Sae stepped into the hot water eagerly. The concept of being stuck in a male body didn't bother her, but how she missed her own skin. She constantly was stubbing her toes and jamming fingers, bashing elbows and knees on everything. Sae didn't bother dressing as she dried off, walking into her bedroom bare, in search of new clothes. She blinked when she beheld Madara sitting in her desk chair, their eyes locking. For a few terse seconds he just stared, blinking a few times at her nude state.

"What?" Sae finally asked wryly as she moved to grab her clean clothes, possessing no body shyness over one that wasn't even her own. Madara just started to laugh as she pulled a shirt over her head, ruffling her damp hair so it would dry properly, slipping on her pants as Madara held his forehead in his hand, shaking it bemusedly.

"I really have to wonder at what your behavior would be if you were piss-drunk." He said bluntly, reclining back. Sae ignored his comment, instead settling a hand on her hip. The gesture made Madara want to laugh more.

"Rie is even worse than Tobi." She watched the smirk crawl across his face as he crossed his arms, eyes glinting.

"Useful, however." He pointed out lightly, eyes tracking Sae as she crouched in front of the water scroll, unraveling some of the length. "You have about a week and a half, by the way, before the higher-ups start to become suspicious." He turned serious, a finger tapping against his elbow in thought.

"That should be long enough." Sae said as she started practicing handseals. Madara hummed in agreement, rising to his feet with a fluid movement.

"Jaa." His silken voice murmured as he disappeared, Sae shivering at its depth as she turned her attention back to the water manipulation.

* * *

This was too fun. (:

Thoughts?


	18. Chapter 18

I LOVE your reviews. :D  
I'd respond, but I really need to get to bed, now. I stayed up nearly three hours later than I was set on, and have to be up early tomorrow. .

Oh, how I love you guys. Lucky, lucky.

* * *

Hanae hefted a large pile of thick medical books, that had just filtered in from the hospital-- the information was outdated, the accompanying missive had said, and was to be stored in the Mizukage building for past records. She tottered out into the hall, down a flight of stairs and to the left, into a room she knew well. Nearly able to be called a library, books and scrolls dotted the walls, sectioned off. Deceased shinobi's files, old academy transcripts, village correspondences, financial records from the last fifty years, and more. At twenty-nine years old, Hanae had started her job just when she was looking for an out, the last days of the Yondaime's rule harsh and growing ever more demanding of his warriors had taken a heavy toll on her health. Then Terumi Mei had come, a practical angel in disguise. Everyone had fretted over her bloodlines and worried she would run Kirigakure into the ground with failure tactics. Hanae had found her niche, however, when Mei called for a complete restoration of Kiri's documents, all to be sorted and updated regularly, new regiments formed, and old brutal practices thrown out in favor of smoother ones. As a result, the whole room she was in practically belonged to her; it was Hanae who had spent hours upon hours sorting through scrambled documents, pages often missing from important mission reports, others half blank, unfilled slots dominating pages and barely giving a skeleton of details to explain the mission's purpose. Despite all her efforts, chunks of history was still missing from Kiri's past.

Setting the stack of books on the floor, Hanae set to slipping them into fitting places on the medical shelves, the simple task letting her mind wander. Administrative work definitely agreed with her. Out on the field she had been constantly anxiety-driven, given to panic in compromising situations. Her young mind had been frazzled to her wit's end, and added with the feelings of failure in her missions, had nearly driven her to insanity. Hanae wasn't a fighter; she was given to self-defense, not possessing a sharp enough mind to think on her feet, much less think ahead enough of her opponent to strike harm against them. Seven years in the war, and she had only elevated to chuunin. A high-class chuunin, but still lacking the essentials, the well rounded balance of a jounin. Written word much more was where she excelled. Hanae could find humor in the dry words of mission reports, or similarly, tragedy, entertainment in old scrolls and correspondences from the past. Most would shy from her job, but she loved it.

Gathering together her materials, Hanae quickly drafted up what all had been done this week. The process was familiar to her, as she stamped wax in the bottom left corner, signifying the date boldly. Locking the room on her way out with the high-security lock, Hanae folded her report in half lengthwise, entering the Mizukage's office. Blinking bewilderedly when she saw the office empty, she frowned. A slight smacking noise from above had her glancing at the high ceiling curiously, nearly shrieking in fright when she beheld the Mizukage crouched there with chakra, pensively dropping and catching a ball, gaze locked straight on Hanae's face.

Drop....slap. Drop....slap. The only noise in the room was made by the little ball as the two stared at each other.

"I have the records report, Mizukage-sama." Hanae told Mei as she gathered her senses, shying when the Mizukage's face split into a cheerful grin, lighthearted as she stayed glued to the spot, terribly long hair dangling like a chandelier.

"You may leave it on the desk." Drop....slap. Mei kept smiling, accurate in her catching even with her eyes arced shut. Hanae quickly crossed the room, laying the paper carefully on top of a stack of ingoing missives, pausing at the door on her way out. With one last glance the tiny brunette looked at her Mizukage, playing with a child's toy as she hung from the ceiling, obviously thinking about something quite deeply. Scurrying out the door with a quick salute, Hanae hurried away. She really didn't understand Terumi Mei; each experience with her presence was a unique one, her quirks more often disturbing.

* * *

_Concentrate. Inhale. And..._

"Suiton: Shiraku!" Sae's eyes flew open, drilling harshly into the squirming rat in front of her, pinned by the tail with a kunai. Her pupils contracted as she felt out the new sensations, able to feel and _sense_ the animal's blood, manipulating with ease.

Shiraku was an A-class jutsu, something that had immediately caught her eye in the scroll. Taking advantage of the fact the human body was mainly compromised of water, it allowed a user to dominate a person's blood and cells. If strong enough, the user could literally completely take over a person's functions.

Already she had spent all afternoon trudging through the damp underfoilage surrounding the village, trapping small animals to train on. To say she was irritable would be an understatement-- Sae was bordering on murderous, her fingers quivering with tension. Useless harm befalling her prey didn't agree with her; the animals' squeals and survival tactics had wiled her for hours, corroding her mood into the black state it was currently in.

Yet she finally had succeeded. Striding forward, she plucked the kunai from the rat's tail, the animal prostrate on the ground, paralyzed from her will. Creasing her brow, Sae made the animal stand, getting the hang of how to direct her chakra to get the results she wanted. The rodent chased its tail, squealing with alarm at the foreign presence dictating its body. With a powerful exhale Sae released her technique, the rat immediately dashing away, disappearing under a fern. Feeling a raindrop wet the tip of her nose, Sae glanced up to see the sky darkened from the usual gray, black thunderheads rolling in.

"Wonderful." She grumbled as she jerked her cloak tighter around her manly frame, knowing she would not make it back to Hanae's apartment in time before the rain started to fall. Picking her way through the vegetation and coarse gravel underfoot, she was proven right when rain started to dampen her hood. Hurrying back towards Kiri, Sae was relieved to see the guard just wave her through, having noted her leave hours earlier. Her feet were loud on the wet street, the standard issue shinobi sandals soaking up water. How she missed her canvas boots, the ability to sneak with barely a whisper and the fact that her feet were always kept dry in their fitted confines. Nearly all the lights were turned on the the apartment complex, Kiri's inhabitants having cleared from the streets at the threat of a storm. Taking the stairs two at a time, Sae rushed inside Hanae's apartment just as a loud roll of thunder boomed. She shook off her hood and startled when she heard a loud thump. Her cloak flew as she darted around the corner and into the kitchen, where she beheld Hanae kneeling in front of the counter, arms hanging onto the edge, trembling.

"Hanae-san?!" Sae rushed forward, gentle hands on the petite woman's shoulders. The brunette twitched at Sae's touch, turning with wide eyes to look at her.

"I'm sorry, I-" Another crash of thunder resounded, Hanae's features seizing up as she shook harder, terrified.

"The thunder?" Sae asked as she hauled the woman up with strong hands, having to nearly hold all of her small weight. Hiccup-like noises came from Hanae's broken mouth, lips forming a trembling square. Recovering minutely, Hanae turned away, embarrassed. She touched her hair and moved to leave the room, though Sae caught her wrist firmly.

"Sei-san?" Hanae asked in a trembling child's voice, glancing at her out of the corner of bloodshot eyes.

"What can I do?" Sae asked calmly, aware of her debt to this small woman.

"I normally just hide in bed." Hanae said flatly, gently pulling at her arm. Sae let go, calm as Hanae twitched at a small gurgle of thunder, rubbing an elbow delicately.

"Go. I'll make tea." Sae watched her scurry from the room, glancing over her shoulder as she set a tea bag inside of a large mug. Seeing Hanae was really gone, she reached up into the cupboard and unearthed a bottle of sleeping pills, dissolving three when she poured hot water into the mug. Quietly replacing the medication, she brought the steaming mug into Hanae's darkened room, rain lashing at the windows. The tiny woman was already curled under her covers in a tight ball, soft hiccups permeating the air.

"The war was always the worst when it stormed." Hanae's voice warbled from under the covers, a green eye peeking out as Sae set the tea on the nightstand, kneeling by the side of the bed. Hanae studied Sae's dark hair, icy eyes as she swallowed, at a loss.

"I see." Sae murmured as she tilted her head minutely, understanding. Everyone had their demons. Hanae squealed as the thunder roared again, the windows rattling. Sae gently reached out and stroked her hair, letting Hanae squeeze her hand in a deathgrip. Picking up the tea with the other, Sae pressed forward. "Drink this. It'll help, I promise." Hanae reached out with a quivering hand, spilling some of the liquid on the bedspread. With tentative sips she swallowed the hot liquid. Sae stayed with her until Hanae passed out, catching the mug before it fell and spilled the few drops left.

"How compassionate." Madara's voice barely surprised her, Sae cocking her head enough to see him leaning in the doorway, arms crossed.

"I drugged her." Sae blinked, watching his eyes flicker with surprise.

"Better than hearing those pathetic tears." He shifted as Sae stood, letting Hanae's hand fall softly into her blankets.

"Everyone has fears." Sae shrugged, passing by him and out into the hall. She noted that his hair was wet, the strands drooping under the weight of the water. "Cat stuck out in the rain?" She smirked at him, pleased when he blinked sullenly.

"Something to that effect." His voice was velvet, sonorous in its depth. Sae caught a towel out of the linen closet, stepping close and reaching up to towel his head dry. His deep hum as her fingers massaged his scalp had her laughing lightly, raising a brow.

"Cat indeed." She grinned as he looked out from under the towel, his onyx eyes dancing.

"I do miss your face." He reached out and thumbed her cheek, watching her frown.

"Well, a few days more." She touched her nose, the foreign structure disconcerting. "I did learn a handful of suitons this morning though." She smiled, happy with the development. Madara chuckled as he moved into the kitchen, taking down a cup and getting a glass of water. Sae watched the smooth muscles of his back, fascinated. His sleek movements never failed to attract her attention.

"You're going to have to get rid of her, you know." He quietly said, turning enough to glance at Sae out of the corner of his eye. She lowered her gaze to the floor, pensive.

"I feared." She quietly murmured, aware of how Madara just turned back to the sink, no comforting words or compromises. Sae supposed that that was how things were to be, but she couldn't help.... hoping.

"You'll forget it soon enough." Madara tousled his hair back, approaching and tilting Sae's chin up with a powerful finger, "Don't dwell." He was firm as he passed by, fluttering from the room with a swish of hair and whisper of finely made clothes. Sae followed after him as he settled on the couch, content to pass the storm by with her company.

She had missed this, missed him, she realized, as she changed the subject, settling next to him cross-legged.

* * *

Thoughts?

Also, just for fun, what has been your favorite arc so far? ;D


	19. Chapter 19

I donated blood on Friday, almost passed out, and I cried.  
Funny that I have a phobia in real life, yet I barely blink when I read or write action scenes. xD

bittersweetties- Yay, new reviewer! ^^  
Hanae serves as another factor that slowly takes away from Sae's innocence. Her first intentional murder.

SerbiaTakesCntrl- Thank you! (:

Hidden in Sunlight- If the last one was mild, this one should make you happy!  
Its intense~

jennyz- Eeeeee! Another reviewer!  
Creep all you like, dear. :D

Michi-tan- Yes, poor woman. She really got the short end of the stick.

Ithilien1234- Also, nearly every time we see Madara in the manga, he's speaking to his enemies.  
His character needed to be fleshed out, and as Saezuri's on his side, well, there's no reason to be a real monster to her. :b

Zuckaiy- Hanae definitely had feelings for him, yes~

Valinor's Twilight- Thanks!

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- Oh, how I miss Kisame and Itachi. They were great to write. ;D

Kukukuku. Let's move on, shall we?

* * *

Hanae rolled over and tried slapping for her alarm clock, head throbbing. Her arm missed the nightstand by inches, the force imbued behind her strike tipping the scales in favor of gravity as she fell to the floor with a loud thud, covers twisted hopelessly around her small form.

"Ohhhh." She groaned as her clock slowly shrieked louder, increasing the ache in her head. She hadn't been drinking last night, had she? Hanae stumbled to her feet, clicking off the wailing clock with an ornery finger. She paused lengthily as she remembered the storm; also the tea and Sei's actions, before burying her face in her hands.

How embarrassing.

With a fell sigh Hanae wandered out into the kitchen, glancing at Sei's door on her way. He had left it open, and she could see him curled on the bed, black hair splayed across the light sheets. Avoiding the creaky spots on the floor, she set coffee to brew. Hanae tensed when someone banged on the door, her efforts to avoid disturbing Sei's sleep dashed. Tired, she opened it to see a full squad of ANBU behind, all battle dressed with masks in place.

"Ichino Hanae," The leader stepped forward minutely, inclining his masked face, "you are housing Ryuda Seiji, correct?" Hanae hesitantly nodded, not understanding.

"He's still asleep. Should I wake him?" She shrieked when the leader roughly shoved her aside, dashing inside the apartment with a swish of his cloak, feet silent upon the wood floors. Two more of his squad were right on his heels, while the third kindly offered a hand to Hanae, helping her to her feet before checking over the room.

"Who're you?!" Sae darted out of her room after being woken from the commotion, seeing Hanae holding her elbow in pain, before ducking to avoid a volley of kunai from a masked ANBU.

"Ryuda Seiji, you are to be brought in front of the Mizukage." Sae's eyes widened at the leader's bellow, her hand groping behind for the hilt of her katana. She just grasped empty air however, the weapon sealed away with the rest of her regular appearance. Cursing, Sae hooked a kunai from her pouch and threw it with a nimble twist, the weapon embedding itself straight between Hanae's eyes. The woman spun down to the floor as Sae twisted and broke out of the small window at the end of the hall, aware of the yells of the ANBU. She had no intention of ever seeing this Mizukage.

"Damnit!" Sae hissed as she landed harshly three stories below, falling to her knee. Her head whipped around at a small creak, seeing two of the ANBU leaping out the same window onto a neighboring roof, hands at the ready. Sae felt her ankle burn when she jumped to her feet, taking off down the narrow alleyway. She skipped to a stop when the lead landed abruptly in front of her, brandishing a kunai. She avoided it as her eye caught a third ANBU crouched on a rooftop, running through seals; she quickly recognized them.

It was Shiraku.

Determined not to be caught by the jutsu, Sae started forming seals herself, pressing herself to go as fast as she could while she ducked under the ANBU in front of her, taking off running once more. She _had_ to finish the seals before the ANBU did, else she'd be paralyzed, and it all would be over.

"Suiton: Shiraku!" Sae twisted as she yelled, seeing the ANBU in pursuit, leaping over buildings. Two of them froze, her chakra invading their bloodstream. They fell like stone, landing with crippling force to the pavement below. Sae released the technique, fighting not to pass out as her chakra took a large blow-- a much larger amount than when she had practiced on the rat. Two ANBU were left, their paces increasing as Sae's slowed. Her foot caught on a piece of debris as she went to turn a corner, her bare shoulder bearing the brunt of the force as she fell, tremendous momentum kicking her body back up again as she crashed through the paper screening of a restaurant, wooden slats leaving long welts on her back. Sae stumbled to her feet among the alarmed customers, light filtering in through the ripped paper. An ANBU darted in after her as Sae flicked out a kunai, parrying his attack. Metal sang lightly as she fended him off, catching a quick kick in his gut. He crippled slightly as Sae took the opportunity and kicked down the out door, sprinting into the street. She refrained from groaning when the two ANBU were right on her heels. Sae could barely keep pace as she tried forming a plan of escape, feeling incredibly lost without Madara saving her neck by now. She latched onto that; what would Madara have done, in this situation?

Blinking as she realized, Sae skidded to a stop after rounding a corner. She quickly faced where she had just come from, flinging three kunai with wires from a nimble hand, the weapons imbedding themselves in the wood corners of the nearest buildings. The ANBU skidded to a stop just in time from butchering themselves, one jumping over as the second twanged a finger on the waist-height wires, the lines glinting in the morning sun. Sae tilted her chin high as the ANBU fell upon her, hands groping to catch hold of her. She caught his wrist and twisted away, but shrieked when the second teleported in, a kunai slicing through her left collarbone. She threw away the ANBU's wrist from her, stumbling back as they both coordinated attacks with frightening fluidity, easily landing attacks on her weak points. She was reduced to the ground after barely a heartbeat, bleeding and bruised. One ANBU scoffed while the other twirled his kunai on his finger, pocketing the weapon with a flourish. Sae gurgled incoherently as she was slung over the lead's shoulder effortlessly, her throat draining blood. She frantically touched the shredded skin, clamping a trembling hand over the wound as the ANBU carrying her started whistling, the only member left of his squad bending enough to look in Sae's face with his mask, hands in his pockets as he followed

"Don't worry, you won't die. Yet." He chirped cheerfully, Sae seeing his eyes arched as he presumably was grinning behind his mask. She mustered up enough strength to spit at him, tears glittering from her eyes both from the pain and her humiliating defeat. The ANBU just laughed, cruelly setting a heavy hand on her head, tousling her blood-wetted black hair and jarring her neck. Sae moaned at the barrage of pain, fighting to keep from blacking out as the ANBU withdrew his hand.

"Ni, go check on Ichi and San." The lead ordered as he hefted Sae up higher on his shoulder, bringing his left hand up in a seal.

"Sir!" Ni saluted, watching as his captain disappeared in a puff of smoke. A warble escaped Sae as they landed outside the Mizukage's building, as she wiggled weakly, desperately trying to get free. Her vision started to blacken as he ignored her protest and headed for the main double doors.

"You'll be giving him to me." Madara's voice was dark as he landed in front of the ANBU, his breathing fast from his rush to track down Saezuri. The Uchiha flung a kunai straight for the lead's throat, who dropped Sae as he brought his plated forearm up to deflect the weapon. Madara's brows knitted when Sae hit the ground as dead weight, no sound or stir coming from her. His sharingan spun wildly as he noticed blood already feathering the cement red. Without warning he flew at the ANBU, limbs loose as he kicked him in the chin, following with the heel of his hand into his right ear. The mist shinobi stumbled in surprise at the swift attacks, grunting when Madara attacked the weak spots in his stomach, a kunai stolen from his own pouch ending him with a swift slice to the throat. Madara threw the knife away with an angry motion, the metal clattering to the ground as he rushed to Sae's side, his eyes widening minutely when he turned her shoulder and saw her neck. With a curse he picked her up as gently as he could, bending space as he teleported them both away. Touching down in an old underground Uchiha barrack, Madara cradled her head to his chest with one hand, his other arm striking out and sweeping old supplies off a large, steel table. The items fell to the floor with a crash that he ignored as he set Sae on the table, tearing the sleeveless shirt from her body. Madara tossed the tattered material to the floor, pressing his thumb into the seal on her back harshly. He waited impatiently as the markings appeared back over her skin, slowly retracting into the circle symbol. Saezuri's hair faded from black back to the light, dusty blonde, her skin paling and muscles growing finer and more delicate. As soon as the seal spun and locked itself Madara laid her down fully, tense as he beheld her lackluster, black eyes half opened, breath barely moving her chest at all. With a few handseals, he pressed over her ripped neck, the muscle under his eye twitching as he ferreted all the chakra he could afford out of his system. He relaxed some when the bleeding stopped, his hands bathed from it and Sae covered in the reflective red; Madara slouched over the table, turning an eye to the pearly white scarring that had filled the wound, deducing that it should be effective enough.

"Nyaaaa, she's new." Madara glanced over his shoulder as an old, grizzled war cat sat in the doorway, the Uchiha fan stamped on its forehead. The cat licked its chops, the smell of blood sending his whiskers twitching.

"Oki." Madara said flatly as he straightened, eying the animal. Cunning green eyes stared back as the cat fluidly stretched, jumping up onto the table effortlessly. Oki cocked his head as he sniffed at Sae's cheek, pawing at a strand of blonde hair. Madara had to resist swiping at the cat.

"She smells of death." The cat disclosed, his ears laying flat against his head when Madara shifted dangerously.

"I've noticed, thank you." His voice was malicious, sharingan glinting in the dull light. Oki turned and jumped from the table, pausing in the doorway.

"I'll go fetch some of the medicine that hasn't spoiled." His tail waved fluidly as he left the room, claws clicking on the stone floor.

* * *

Saezuri slowly blinked her eyes open, to find herself staring up at a stone ceiling. Sitting up, she found herself in a plush, old fashioned bed, all of the furniture in the room outdated in style. A hand flew to her throat when she realized that she hadn't died, finding incredibly silky skin replacing her wound.

"Surprised?" A nasally voice had her spinning, to see a cat perched on the edge of the bed. She stared for a long moment, frowning when she noted the Uchiha symbol on its forehead. "Cat got your tongue?" The animal teased, Sae's brow twitching.

She'd never encountered ninja animals before.

"Where am I?" Her voice was rough, guttering; the cat's fur stood on end at the noise, whiskers twitching.

"An old Uchiha hideaway. Madara has left, presently." Sae glanced down at her hands when Oki answered, pressing her cool fingers over her eyelids.

A few loose tears escaped, falling to the duvet.

* * *

Thoughts?


	20. Chapter 20

HOLY CRAP. HOLYCRAPHOLYCRAP.  
We've hit the 100th review mark! 115, actually! :O  
I'm so stunned, seriously. When I posted that first chapter, I expected to be flamed and told to go die in a hole.  
Now I'm on chapter 20 with over 3,000 hits and 40,000 words, and I seriously can't. freaking. believe. it.  
I really value all of you reviewers, and all you lurkers, too. ^-^  
I know you're there, and I hope you're enjoying yourselves, also, even if I don't hear from you. (:

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- Hanae did meet a quick end, but I'm not done with her character. :b  
I figured it was more realistic though. Sae panicked.

-PENUCHI-- Confused how, dear? I'll try and clear it up~

SerbiaTakesCntrl- Yes, our dear Uchiha cares, in however roundabout of a manner. (:

maddogish- Oh my, all in one sitting? o.o  
I'm glad you like it!

jennyz- Eheh, you gave me an image of Madara all dressed like a superhero. XD  
And I told myself that even though I'm terrified of needles, I could help someone for free. So I made myself, even though I almost panic-attacked.  
My elbow still is bruised, aha.

Sarcastic Tofu- Yus! This one's not so intense, but, well, the intense ones wouldn't be so intense if they all were like that. ;D

Michi-tan- Sae was crying because of the combination of being beaten so easily, her voice, and Hanae. Lotsa stress. :b

bittersweetties- What can I say, I'm addicted to writing this monster.  
And ohhhh yes, you will find out all the details. We're not quite done with Kiri yet. (;  
Hanae is dead, but she's still going to be involved in a way.

earthstar695- Thanks!

Hidden in Sunlight- Madara sends his apologies and promises more steaminess later. ;D

Valinor's Twilight- Same, which I plan to exploit. Oki's just the beginning of it. XD

Zuckaiy- Yes, poor Sae. She really got ganged on.

Ithilien1234- Yes, all will be explained about Kiri, don't you fret.  
And Mei, well..... you'll have to wait and see. Eheheh.

skytten- Massive review! Thank you for all the thought you put into it. ^^  
Details about Madara are slowly just sifting to the surface, as we can see in this chapter. Nothing large will be revealed all at once, but things are in the works.  
And Akatsuki...... you'll see. XD  
Kishi is rather partial to his male characters, I've definitely noticed. :E  
We never see Tenten, or Ino, or Temari, or others.  
I don't hate Sakura either, her behavior just makes me angry. Same with Sasuke, I've become rather unhappy with him these last chapters. Kishi better have a good way of resolving this, else I'm going to be upset.  
And romance, I'm the same way. It drives me nuts when all of a sudden characters are all over each other with no hints prior, or attraction. And then they act like they've been married for years and know each other like the back of their hand. It's so illogical. XD

ANYWHO, enjoy!

* * *

"Perhaps some of the old chakra potions would help her throat." Oki suggested as he sat on top of the desk Madara was seated at. He had an anatomy scroll rolled out in front of him, a cross section of the human neck draw with accurate details and descriptions displayed on the paper.

"Is there any that isn't ancient?" He asked boredly, chin propped up by his palm as his eyes skimmed over the material on the scroll. Oki rubbed a paw over his forehead, ignoring when Madara's heavy-lidded stare shifted to him.

"...Possibly." The cat answered, jumping from the table. Oki landed on the floor with a soft thump, wandering from the room with a weaving tail. Madara paused, before going back to the scroll. After some time, he rolled it back up with a sigh, seeing nothing helpful.

"Nothing?" Saezuri's grating voice asked meekly, as he turned his head enough to see her standing in the doorway, a hand delicately tracing the frame. His silence answered her, as she frowned; the smooth scar tissue caught the light slightly as she shifted, unnaturally shiny and pale.

"I still can't believe you managed to dispose of Hanae in that madness." Madara commented as he swiveled his chair around, watching how her eyes shifted down. He had gone back to Kiri after he was sure she could garner no more help from him, and had been immensely surprised to find that Sae had indeed taken care of the small woman. The village had been on tight lockdown, the Mizukage herself and a team of jounin scouring everything in search of Sae. She had left no loose ends, despite almost being killed in the process. Sae bobbed her head instead of answering him, sparing herself the pain of speaking. She meandered over to look through all the titles lining the shelves of books and scrolls while Madara entertained himself with a kunai, flipping and catching the weapon. So much idle time had been spent over the long, dusty years that it didn't even phase him when he had nothing pressing to attend to.

"Uchiha Souji?" Sae asked after some time, glancing up at Madara. His eyes flickered with recognition as he cocked his head at her, pausing from carving his kunai into the wall. "Did you know him?" She rasped, flipping through a journal in her hands.

"Aa. Obnoxious one, he was." Madara's lips quirked, remembering the boy. Sae continued skimming through the journal, pausing when she took the time to realize how it was dated. Brows creasing, she furiously flipped through more pages, seeing that she wasn't reading things wrong.

It had been written over seventy years ago.

The thin journal slipped from her hands, her lips parting slightly as she searched Madara's face out with dark eyes. He was tossing the kunai in the air lazily, catching it perfectly by the razor sharp tip every time.

"Y-you?" He raised a brow at her rasp, letting the kunai embed in the arm of his chair as he laced his hands over his stomach.

"Yes, I knew him personally." He hazarded a guess at the reason for her astonishment, watching as she practically choked. Oki strolled back in the room at that moment, carrying a small bottle by his mouth, his sharp teeth clamped around a ribbon tied around the neck. His sharp green eyes observed Sae's dumbfounded expression; his whiskers twitched as he set the bottle on the stone floor with a light clink.

"What's up with her?" He asked as he settled on his haunches, Madara's lips quirking.

"She's figured out how old I am." He told the war cat, watching the animal grin to itself.

"The great, immortal Uchiha. You definitely picked the right master, missy." Oki told Saezuri, before nudging the bottle towards her with a paw. "Drink this. It will stimulate chakra to gather in your throat." She dreamily stooped to pick up the vial, observing the sickly green liquid. She apprehensively looked to Madara, who swished a hand at her.

"Go on." He watched her pull the cork out, raising the glass to her lips. At the first taste the muscle under her eye twitched, though she stuck it out and swallowed the whole thing. Sae could feel her throat prickling, all the way down to her stomach; the sensation was... unpleasant, to say the least.

"You can't be-" Sae abruptly stopped speaking, fighting not to cough violently. She settled into a frustrated silence, irked to not be able to communicate.

"I am turning 99 this winter." Madara supplied as his eyes drifted to the ceiling, contemplative. Sae choked in surprise, somewhat having expected such a number. She stared at him for a long time, before finally blinking.

"Prove it." She guttered, bewildered. She just couldn't accept it-- Madara didn't look a day over 30.

"Uchiha Souji, there?" Madara nodded at the journal crumbled on the floor, the pages haphazard, "You'll find him to talk obsessively about Uchiha Ren, whom he later married. Depending on when that was written, his son may appear, who was named..." His brows drew, as he tried to recall, "Gento, I believe." He watched Sae pick the journal back up, her dark eyes skimming over the pages. She stopped when she came to a line tittering on about chance meetings, Ren's name showing itself later in the paragraph. Sae lifted her eyes to Madara's, his quiet confidence swaying her opinion over.

"99...? How?" She whispered, still trying to absorb the fact that Madara was old enough to thrice be her father.

"Sharingan." He stated simply, rising from the desk chair. With a disinterested flick, he threw the scroll back into its cubbyhole, surprised when Sae's arms twined around his waist, her forehead resting between his shoulders blades.

"I don't mind it." Goosebumps broke out like fire up his spine when she murmured, a wicked smirk curling his lips. Madara broke her light grip over his waist, cradling her hands as he turned to face her. He met determined onyx eyes, bright despite the shabby condition of her body-- he could feel heat radiating off her skin in waves, just from where he held her wrists.

"Sap, sap." Oki yawned as he stood to his beaten paws, sharp green eyes slitting. "I didn't think you were one for it." The cat glanced up to Madara, hackles rising when he was met with a slowly churning sharingan. With a small hiss Oki darted from the room while Sae frowned, the prickle in her throat intensifying. That potion, whatever it was, was certainly doing something. She coughed lightly, drawing Madara's attention back; his eyes glinted with awareness as he let go of Sae's wrists.

"Mold some chakra for me." He spoke as he started seals, watching her expression spark with realization. She clasped her thin hands in the universal seal for concentration, closing her eyes when Madara grasped her neck. Laying her fingers over the smooth skin on the backs of his hands, she fueled his jutsu; her skin crawled as her own chakra invaded her cells. After a long moment she felt it subside, opening her eyes as Madara drew his hand away.

"Does it look better?" She asked, voice still rough but no longer creaking and guttering. It was comparable to a bad sore throat, something Sae could handle, now.

"Aa." Madara cocked his head, touching the shiny smooth scar. It was flatter, weaved in closer with her regular skin. He didn't think it would ever completely disappear, but it no longer stuck out like a sore thumb.

"I want that water scroll." Sae cast her eyes down, frowning. She had long thought on it, deciding that she wanted to hurt Kiri however possible: both for her throat, and for making her kill Hanae in the manner that she did. Sae felt her eyes burn at the thought of the petite woman, quickly turning her mind away before her emotions tracked any further.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Madara raised a brow, glancing her over. A square bandage was pasted over her cheek, and long wraps covered her arms and torso, he knew, from deep lacerations. Her neck had been the worst of it, but by no means had the rest of her body been unmarked, either. The ANBU had known what they were doing, striking out at vulnerable areas.

"If I can figure out how to change its summoning method, I think I can get away with it." Sae raised her eyes, their orbs hard and glinting. Madara's lips curled at the novelty, her rage pleasing him to no end-- the glimpse of such a rare emotion amused him greatly. He turned from her and glanced up at the long expanse of bookshelf lining the wall, eyes picked out a collection of books pertaining to summoning.

"Here." He reached and pulled down the tomes, letting them thus to the table loudly. He left her to study, humming lightly as he turned the corner.

Kiri certainly had problems if she managed to pull it off.

* * *

Thoughts, you wonderful human beings?


	21. Chapter 21

Quickie update.

malandiva- Whoo!  
Congrats on de-lurkifying yourself! ;D

Ithilien1234- Madara can get away with calling anybody a brat. He's immortal, for gosh sakes. (:  
Mei will be fine, she's too important to kill off~

xX-Heady-Revelation-Xx- Thanks!

Valinor's Twilight- When I first started this I was much slower. The first chapter sat unwritten in my files for a good two months, since I had no idea where to go with it.  
But the more I write this, the easier it becomes. ;)  
Everyone writes at their own pace though.

jennyz- Yes, and then he could have a hot, sexy businessman alter-ego.  
I still squeal and giggle like a little girl when I get reviews. I don't think I could ever just sit there and expect them. It still astounds me that people like this. XD  
Honestly, Kisame is one of my favorite characters. Ever. Kiri automatically gains points for that in my mind. ;D  
Though one wouldn't think it, all the trouble I'm putting them through here. Ehehehehe.

HikariKage-Cat- I'm glad I'm keeping a good balance on the mush! ^^

Michi-tan- Yus! He's starting to become more forward in his wants~

Hidden in Sunlight- :D Madara is alot of things without planning. He's just sex on legs.

SerbiaTakesCntrl- ..... I should not be calling child services, now should I? o.o

Sarcastic Tofu- Thanks, sweetiecheeks!

Zuckaiy- Hopefully that dullness is gone! D:  
I promise tons of going-ons beginning next chapter. Shit's about to hit the fan. XD

Anyhow, enjoy. This was a delight to write~

* * *

"Oki." Sae crouched down in front of the small cat, the animal flicking an irritated ear as he ignored her, favoring the warm ball he was curled into. Sae had searched out the whole base for him, finding on the way that there were still old, unmaintained weapons and other supplies stored away. It was a figurative preserved time-capsule from the First Shinobi War. Frowning at the cat's unresponsiveness, Sae reached out a hand to pet his fur, shrieking with alarm when he raked out with sharp claws. Her reflexes were quick enough that she was unharmed as Oki sat up, tail twitching.

"What do you want, woman?" He snapped at her, ill-humored.

"You're a summoning, right? What's it like?" Sae wrapped her arms around her knees and tilted her head, observing all the small movements Oki made. His whiskers twitched lightly as he settled on his haunches, green eyes drilling into Sae.

"Crummy, nowadays." He blinked slowly, not understanding Saezuri's immense interest.

"How so?"

"Few of us remain. Our ancestral home was destroyed. Need I go on?" Oki licked a paw, the Uchiha crest baring itself as he dipped his head.

"Destroyed?" Sae questioned, frowning.

"By the Senju." Oki paused in his bath, seeing that she didn't recognize the name. "The _Senju._ Where have you been? The Uchiha's mortal enemy?" Sae just blinked, watching Oki set his paw back on the floor. The name echoed dully in her head, familiar but not. "They raided our homeland nearly seventy years ago. Our young and elders were decimated, and most of our warriors slaughtered trying to protect them. Few of us remain, scattered in all the old, abandoned Uchiha barracks."

"Do you still fight for Madara?" Sae tipped her head questioningly, watching Oki blink slowly.

"Personally, no. There's still a small division of warriors left though, but most are too bitter to actually be of any use." Oki stretched, green eyes willing Sae to go away. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm due for a nap." The cat scathed, still irritated at being disturbed. Happy with the information she had garnered, Sae stood and left the small alcove. It had taken days to filter through all the information Madara had given her; she felt that she understood the basic workings of summons, and had started memorizing all the different diagrams one could use. Sae traced the decorative patterns carved into the stone wall as she leisurely traveled down the hall, curiously exploring further. The Uchiha crest was proudly tacked onto nearly everything-- Sae could only imagine what it would have been like to belong to the clan in the height of its power. She could glimpse small shadows of an obstinate leader in Madara, and wondered if he, even back then, had the same misleading personality.

A tapestry on the wall caught her eye as she wandered past, pausing in her steps before backtracking. Madara glowered out with a dark expression, his enlarged face woven skillfully into the material. The likeness was so great that Sae almost felt he would reach out and throttle her.

"That was made a week before the Uchiha figuratively turned their backs on me." Sae was unsurprised when Madara appeared beside her, gracefully stepping from the shadows. She tipped her head up to look at him, inquisitive.

"Is that the cause for the mood?" She quietly asked, reaching out and placing her fingertips against the tapestry, soft fingerpads hovering across his cheek. The material was rough under her hand, years of neglect and stagnant air causing the threads to start deteriorating.

"Aa." Madara inclined his head, chuckling lightly. It wasn't....joyous, Sae found. She frowned as she let her hand fall to her side, watching as Madara studied his own face, features set in a subtle glower. Reaching out with featherweight fingers, Sae gently grabbed Madara's large palm. His eyes swept to hers, where he issued a scoff at her gesture, lips curling. Draping a warm arm around her svelte shoulders, Madara led her off down the hallway, away from the dark portrait; his fingers absently traced the silky scar stretching across Sae's neck, shiny like a string of pearls. He only noticed after she shuddered violently, her skin crawling at the notion of danger, flesh instinctively wanting to protect itself from any contact after being so violently attacked. A devious smirk stretched his face as his steps slowed, large hand cupping the entire right side of Sae's face as he leaned over, brushing his lips from the corner of her mouth up to her ear, leaving a trail of fire itching under her skin. She slowly blinked at his sudden gesture, flashing long lashes as her eyes lit with contemplation. Twisting in a bold move, she stepped lightly on the tops of his feet as she reached up to press her lips against his, feeling the silk of his skin as she lightly set her hands where his neck joined his shoulders to keep her balance. Madara hotly pressed forward, kindled by Sae's audacity as he crushed her to him; she grunted lightly as her spine cracked all the way up, laughing into his mouth. The feathery brushes of her breath had his own lips curling as he broke away, nuzzling below her ear. "Your hair is getting longer." He murmured as his hand threaded at the nape of her neck, the dusty blonde strands tangling. Saezuri laid her temple against the strong sinews of his neck, skimming a hand up his back. She delighted at the way his muscles responded to her touch, flexing and shifting under his skin. She could barely concentrate for the pounding of her heart in her throat, its intensity nearly choking her as Madara roughly pushed her against the wall, hands cupping her face as he drew away a fraction, nose just brushing Sae's as his excited breath fanned over her lips. Her eyes drifted closed as he reclaimed her lips, assaulting tingles nearly driving her mad. Madara's hands sidled up under her shirt, feeling the soft peach fuzz on her belly as he gripped the inlets of her waist, practically purring when Sae's hands contracted on his back, fingernails digging delightfully. He paused when he felt her chest jump, pulling away and tilting his head. A small squeak escaped her as she hiccuped again, her expression surly.

"Damn hiccups." She was surprised when Madara broke out into charming laughter as he untangled himself from her, swatting his hair back with a habitual hand. Completely at ease, he watched Sae smooth her shirt down, her dark doe eyes glancing up at him as she resumed down the hall. Moving away from her flustered thoughts, Sae settled on wondering about Kiri, aware of Madara easily catching up to her. "Can we infiltrate tomorrow?" She asked, fighting to keep the heat out of her face. Not nearly as composed as Madara, she envied his easy capability.

"Are you ready?" He raised a brow, amused at her obvious change in subject.

"Mmh." Sae bobbed her head in a sharp nod, sure she had absorbed all that she could in the few short days. Her throat had already healed to a tolerable level, added chakra-intensive potions she drank daily further soothing the irritated tissues. "If I can buy myself an hour with that scroll, I'm sure I can manipulate it to answer to me."

"And how are you going to get that time?" Madara was skeptical, his other brow joining the first. This vindictive Sae was new to him, completely astounding.

"....I haven't quite decided on that, yet." She frowned. "Possibly bunshin? Or getting Oki to be a diversion." Madara almost wanted to laugh at her simple-minded solutions.

"The jounin would not be so easily fooled." He lightly commented, amused to no end as she struggled to think of something else. Watching her flounder, he smirked as he reached out to fix a stray strand of her hair. "I'll help you out with this and get you some time."

"Really?" Hopeful, she raised her eyes. Seeing he was serious, Saezuri gave a little smile.

Her prospectives were looking up.

* * *

Thoughts?


	22. Chapter 22

Hello, lovelies~  
Update, yes!

Also, just for clarification; this is all taking place about two years before the first episode/chapter of Naruto. Meaning our lovely main character is only ten at the moment.  
I only say this because of a time skip soon. I want to get to the good, meaty akatsuki action-y stuff!

Hidden in Sunlight- Yes, that's definitely one of Saezuri's themes, innocence. ;D  
Which is not always a good thing, that. Gets her into trouble alot. :b

jennyz- Cats are bipolar, I swear.  
Heh, glad I'm not making the romance so cheesy to be cringe worthy. XD  
I'm going for it to be realistic.

Michi-tan- Indeed, but they are the cutest things ever~

Ithilien1234- Immortal, yes, but certainly not with no strings attached.  
And the Senju are ninja for god sakes, I don't understand why the manga is painting them as angels.  
Bunch of bull, in my opinion.

Valinor's Twilight- Action, at your service! ^-^

YOUR MOTHER- Ignored what, my dear?  
Glad you like it, haha. (:

-PENUCHI-- Thank yuh~!

Zuckaiy- Because I'm terrible at not-sharing.  
I write a tid-bit and automatically want to share. ;D  
And I'm immensely glad you like Sae~

Enjoy!

* * *

Saezuri woke to the dull stone ceiling, eyelashes gummed slightly together. Opening her eyes fully, she nearly shrieked as she observed Rie straddling her waist, featherlight weight barely noticeable as she leaned forward, dark eyes intensive on Sae's face.

"Is that really necessary? We're not even there yet!" Sae sat up abruptly, forcing Rie back with sharp hands.

"Why not?" Rie grinned crookedly, long burgundy strands getting tangled as Sae shoved her off completely, the small woman pouting.

"You're batshit insane, Madara." Saezuri moved to slip from under the covers, surprised when Rie darted forward, skinny finger tapping onto Sae's lips with a dull slap.

"You naughty." Rie scolded coyly, long lashes sweeping, "We're Rie-chan now, yes?" She tipped her head, giggling brightly as Saezuri just rolled her eyes, knocking Madara's tiny hand away with a flick of her wrist. Rising from the bed, Sae cringed at the cold stone under her bare feet as she stretched fluidly, a milky strip of belly flashing itself for the barest instant. Stooping to gather her katana from the floor, she clasped the white belt around her waist, comfortable as always with the weight of the weapon. Sae clasped her hands together in the appropriate seal as she mixed chakra, concentrating lightly.

"Henge." She lilted, a small puff of smoke obscuring her features as they morphed into Seiji's. Settling a hand on her hip, Sae glanced in the large mirror across the room, making sure she had the details right.

"Sae-chan~" Rie chirped as she held out an inviting, skinny hand, sheets swathed around her legs as she leaned forward slightly. Saezuri laid her bony, masculine fingers in Madara's tiny palm, losing her sense of balance as the world warped around her. Falling to the grass as the view popped back into existence, Sae fought not to lose her stomach. Glancing up through coarse black hair, Sae beheld Kiri's defense wall before them, gray sky a moody backdrop. Gathering herself back to her feet, Sae blinked curiously when Rie placed a cautioning hand over Sae's abdomen, raising a finger to her lips to be silent. Raising a brow, Sae watched as Rie studied the wall protecting the hidden village, plotting.

"On three, we dash. Stick to the shadows, and don't get your cute face slaughtered, mkay Sae-chan?" Rie giggled cheerfully, the muscle under Sae's eye twitching spasmodically. "One....two, three!" Rie hissed quickly, dashing from the cover of foliage abruptly. Sae yelped in protest, breaking free of the plant life also as she darted after the small woman, irritated. How like Madara to recklessly jump ahead, leaving her floundering behind. Rie sidled up against the village wall, dead silent on her feet as she pressed eager hands against the stone. Sae caught up and pressed her back to the wall as she glanced at Rie out of the corner of her eye, curious as to why she had yet to move on.

"It's not nice to look up a lady's skirts, Sei-kun." She grinned deviously, fluffing her hips slightly and rustling the full ruffles of her lolita-esque dress.

"It's not like its anything I've never seen before." Sae scoffed as she turned and attached to the wall with chakra, scaling the tall structure with quietly huffing breath. Peeking over the edge, she observed Kiri's cylindrical buildings, onyx orbs darting back in forth in search of any sentries. Spotting the three nearby on duty, she timed their motions, slinking over the edge undetected. Rie was over effortlessly right behind her, perfectly composed and pretty, doll-like face carefree.

Frankly, it pissed Sae off.

"Two o'clock position, Sei-kun." Rie murmured as she thumped to the street next to Sae, clear eyes scanning for any witnesses of their arrival. Sae tipped her head, blinking when she saw the tall spire of the Mizukage's building in the horizon. Raising her hands to form seals for Toorima, she stealthily sneaked across the alley, Rie splitting from her with quick tiny steps, whooshing out of sight. Finalizing her last seal, Sae popped from sight as Toorima took effect; with a rush of chakra to her legs, she sprang up onto the rooftops and made her way towards the large building. Just as she made to leap over a gap, a tremendous explosion at the opposite end of the village rocked her senses, chakra faltering just as her feet left the surface. With a grunt, Sae smacked into the neighboring building gracelessly, sliding down the bricks as she fought to catch grip.

"God damn it." She growled as she finally emitted the right mix of chakra from her hands, jolting to a harsh stop. Sae could feel rough abrasions marring her skin, unable to check the damage because of her illusioned body. Clamoring back up top, she ran as fast as she could without breaking her body, skidding to a stop on the administration building's roof tiles. One dislodged under her feet and fell to the street, breaking with a loud smash.

"What was that?" Sae heard faint voices fretting over the noise as she flattened herself to the roof, seeing a nervous chuunin poke his head out the window, scanning right over Sae's invisible body. Seeing nothing, he shrugged, pulling back as he spoke quietly to his companion. Skittering into motion, Sae's heart thundered in her ears as she dropped onto a neighboring outcrop, and hooked a hand into a window, flipping herself inside with a nimble twist. Crouching in the dark, she paused for a long moment, locating the door after her eyes adjusted to the faint light. Opening the steel, she peered into the empty corridor, sneaking out quietly. Another loud explosion rattled the windows, Sae crouching as she hissed in surprise. Whatever Madara was doing, it was sure to draw the whole village's attention.

Sae slipped into the scrolls room, eyes searching out for the massive water scroll. They widened when she saw it stored on a top shelf, silently cursing whoever organized storage for placing such a heavy thing so high as she scaled the shelves precariously. Gripping onto one end of the large spool the paper was wound upon, Sae channeled as much chakra she could bear into her arm, pulling the scroll down off the shelf. Gravity gripped it as she let her arm drop, the spool flying from her fingers, as her grip wasn't near strong enough. With a thunderous boom it landed upon the floor, banging loudly again as it flopped to its side. Wincing at the noise she jumped to the floor, scavenging a pen and ink from the room as she settle next to the massive scroll. Carefully drawing a diagram over the seal holding the scroll closed, Sae pressed a hand flat against the ink, a pulse of chakra sending black tendrils out. They formed a large diagram on the floor, kanji mixed with impressionist lines, forming a rough, complicated circle. Leaning forward onto her palms, Sae studied the writing and tried to make sense of it, looking for key symbol detonating location and ownership. Just as she straightened the information in her mind and reached out a cautious finger to edit, the door banged open noisily. Flinching back, Sae beheld a busty, beautiful woman in the doorway, tall as she crossed her arms scornfully.

"I wondered what kind of rat was infiltrating my building." She spoke, voice low and jazzy. Sae froze, hoping against all that Toorima would protect her. With an angry clap, the woman's hands smacked together in a seal, Sae's chakra coils quivering suddenly. With a dull pop Sae's visage came back into view, her eyes widening as she glanced down and beheld herself. Scrambling to her feet defensively, Sae unsheathed her katana, the metal singing lightly in her grip. The woman's long, flaming red hair shifted as she cocked her head, single eye boring into Sae's masculine features. "This isn't quite right either." She chirped cheerfully, forming a quick flick of three more seals. With a puff of smoke Sae's disguise was vanquished, her own smooth face stunned as she found the woman a bare five inches from her as the smoke cleared, a kunai poking delicately in between her eyes. "Now," The woman leaned forward, nose just barely brushing Sae's, "tell me what the _hell_ you are doing." She smiled misleadingly, kunai tip drawing blood as she flexed her arm. Sae quivered, her lips trembling as they parted.

"I-"

"Terumi Mei." Rie's voice was murderous as she dropped from the ceiling, disarming the woman with a swift kick, simultaneously shoving Sae to the ground roughly with a hard hit to the shoulder. She coughed as the wind was forced from her lungs, katana flying from her grip. Mei skipped back a large fraction, pacing like a caged tiger. Rie straightened from her landing crouch, flicking long burgundy hair out of her tiny face arrogantly.

"And you are?" Mei cautiously asked as she fixed her grip on her kunai. Her single eye blazed with irritation, malicious in its intent. Rie scoffed lightly in her high voice, pressing hands together in a seal. Mei recoiled as a large puff of smoke obscured her vision, freezing when she beheld Madara standing there, a sinuous hand settled on his hip.

"Sandaime?!" Mei cried in surprise, her mouth opening the slightest bit.

"Sandaime?" Sae echoed Mei, turning huge eyes on Madara's back from her sprawl on the floor. Scrambling to her feet, she blinked when he chuckled darkly.

"Where's the warm welcome? Your Mizukage has returned." Madara spread his arms wide, aware of the tick in Mei's face.

"Go back to hell, you scum." She scorned, raising the kunai threateningly. Madara said nothing but cocked his head, while Sae sneaked back to the diagram on the floor, hoping to be unnoticed among the confrontation. "And, you!" Mei threw her knife viciously, Sae shrieking when it embedded to the handle in the floor, an inch from her hand. "I haven't forgotten you're there." Mei darkly stated, gaze darting in surprise when Madara stepped forward.

"Scum? Kiri was prosperous under my rule." Madara's tone was disinterested as he drew Mei's attention away, Sae discreetly smudging away a line of kanji from the diagram.

"Prosperous? You engulfed our nin in a bloodbath!" Mei exclaimed heatedly, lashing out an arm. Sae kept her eyes on the woman as she slipped a shuriken from her hip, slitting a line in her fingerpad.

"Yet we were on top of the ninja world for those few scarce years." Madara goaded her, crossing his arms as he shifted, further obscuring Sae from Mei's view.

"You were a horrendous leader." Mei's jazzy voice dropped low and menacing, her quirky demeanor vanished for the heavy seriousness shrouding her now. Madara laughed heartily as Sae quickly scrawled her name in blood in place of the erased lines, all the while glancing at Mei cautiously. The last kanji smeared slightly as Sae flinched when the woman whirled out more weapons, quick flicks pinning the cloth of Sae's skirt to the floor, others skimming her collarbone as she jerked away in time.

"And you're any better?" Madara asked lightheartedly, snatching up Sae's forgotten katana that lay by his feet, blocking Mei's furious attack with the flat of the blade. The metal gleamed as she disengaged, whirling around with a roundhouse kick that Madara ducked swiftly under, jabbing up with his blade at the smooth underside of her thigh. The lush skin was sheared open, a shallow wound as she landed back to her feet, blood dripping to the floor with heavy splashes.

"You send in your flimsy minion, kill my top ANBU squad and favored administration worker, and you claim you were best for Kiri?" Mei scathed, raising her flat hands offensively, "You sicken me!" She flew forward, swift jabs all blocked at the last second by Madara, Sae's katana singing with the heavy impacts. Madara held Mei at bay, his face a mask of concentration as he blocked the Godaime's attacks while Sae took advantage of the intense action to continue her work. Using her blood for ink, she smudged out more kanji and quickly scrawled the lyrical lines she had memorized from Madara's books, her blood tying it to her essence.

"Saezuri is no flimsy minion," Madara shoved Mei away, raising the katana as she crashed into the wall harshly, "the ANBU have swiftly declined in proficiency since my time," he carried on, the katana burying itself deep into the wall, scarcely missing Mei's eye as she jerked to the side in alarm, "Frankly, you've had this coming, Go-dai-me." Madara lingered on her title, eye gleaming sharply as she wilted over his knee in her gut. She coughed as she latched her arms around his thigh, flipping him over her shoulder with a tremendous heave. Mei flew down to straddle his back before he could rise to his feet, kunai point at the starting knob of his spine as she pinned down his wrist with her free hand. Sae bit her lip as her eyes flickered between the diagram she was furiously working on, to Madara's vulnerable position. Just as she was about to leap up and try to help, however outclassed she was, Madara chuckled darkly. Mei's eye widened as he sank into the floor, her hands left grasping at nothing. She whirled to her feet as Madara's arm came flying up from beneath the floor, katana swinging dangerously as Mei skipped to the side, long hair flying wildly. Sae felt her heart relax a fraction as she realized that there was no point in worrying; Madara could take care of himself. Renewing her efforts on rewriting the scroll's diagram, she finished the last kanji with a nimble flick of her finger, blood still running quickly from the wound in her finger. Flicking through two dozen seals, she de-summoned the scroll, the massive object disappearing from view with a large explosion of smoke. Sae flinched as she heard Mei crash through the wall, Madara throwing down a massive blow with Sae's katana. The Mizukage rolled away, the blade burying itself in the wooden floor as she twisted and lashed out with a kick at Madara, grunting in irritation when her leg just phased right through.

"Jaa." Madara called mockingly as he reached out and snatched Sae's hand, the both of them warping away. Mei pounded a fist on the floor as she felt both their chakra signatures completely wink out, furious.

"You were the Sandaime." Sae flatly said as they popped back up in a breezy field, strong sunlight piercing her eyes uncomfortably, used to Kiri's opaque, sourceless light.

"Aa. Many years ago." Madara smirked at her as he offered the hilt of her katana, fingers easily holding onto the razor sharp tip.

"The _Sandaime_." Sae repeated, taking the sword absentmindedly, slipping it into her sheath habitually.

"Are you deaf?" Madara teased as he glanced up at the bright sun, light bathing his lightly tanned skin. "The Yondaime was of my choosing, also. He carried on my ideals when I left." He chuckled darkly, eyelashes outlined as he glanced down at her. Saezuri blinked owlishly as she studied his easy, confident features, amazed.

She got the feeling that there were many things about Madara that she didn't know, some for the better.

* * *

Thoughts?


	23. Chapter 23

Itty itty biiiiiiitty chap.

However, this is the end of this timeframe. I thought I had more material for a decent length update, but, well, obviously not.

Its all good though, the beginning of the sequel/continuation is written and will be posted minutes after this.

Happy reading!

* * *

Saezuri stirred early, well before the sun was up, blinking open onyx eyes curiously. She found herself pressing into Madara's chest, his arms loosely around her as he slept on. Sae tipped her head and studied his slack face, always having woke up alone; he rose with the sun impeccably, while she took some kind of noise or disturbance to wake oftentimes. Skimming a hand down his spine absentmindedly, she gasped quietly when his eyes flashed open, sharingan spinning wildly as he tensed for a threat. The eye glowed faintly in the dark as Madara realized that it was just Sae, awake. He let it fade away as she pressed her eyes closed, heart still skipping from the scare.

"Anything wrong?" Madara graveled dozily as he relaxed, eyes half open.

"Nothing." Sae murmured as she traced his jawline lightly, a low hum coming from Madara's chest as he sought to fall back asleep. She felt dwarfed as he shifted his hold around her-- even after the last few months, it was a new sensation. Sae was used to being tall, always able to see eye-to-eye with the majority of males, even having to look down in some cases. Glancing towards the singular window in the inn room, she watched the light shift as the sun appeared and slowly rose, feathering the furniture in the room with a soft glow. The Land of Fire was always bright, Sae had found, with warm enough of a climate to make her clothes feel sticky at the slightest hint of activity. Extracting herself from Madara's light hold, Sae wandered into the bathroom to fix her hair and wash her face. The dusty blonde length was growing long quickly, more than she had ever observed. She supposed that leaving Fue's harsh establishment, where she ate the barest amount and worked hard all day long, was giving benefits. A thin layer of fat had started coating her limbs, no longer skinny enough to see hints of her bone structure, wiry muscles adding to her svelte image. Pulling her hair back into a large bun, she freed her face from the irritating strands.

"Anything in mind for today?" She asked lightly as she went back into the main room, Madara sitting in the middle of the bed, covers twisted around his large frame.

"Only buying supplies." He rose to his feet as he spoke, slipping on his shoes and armor efficiently. Glancing at Sae as he went out the door she trotted after him to catch up, buckling her katana belt around her waist as she went. The street was crowded with pedestrians as they came down, Saezuri having to keep sight of Madara's broad shoulders else she lose him. Again she was reminded of the power difference between them-- she was just a tiny little sparrow compared to Madara, his features and demeanor as sharp and noble as a hawk. Saezuri cast her eyes down as she fought not to frown, outclassed and outmatched.

She was determined not to remain so plain and common as a pitiful songbird.

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Thoughts, for one last time? (:


	24. Sequel

Just to be clear:

_The** sequel** is out!!!_

Its called Swan, get to it from my profile.

That is all. I send my LOVE to all you reviewers.


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